Tattered Line
by Kyeian
Summary: COMPLETE. Once upon a time Duo hurt a lot of people and ran for the hills. Once upon a time Duo met a woman who could keep his complete attention, and now he needs a new 'once upon a time' to take a vacation. This is a sequel to Ameican Decadence.
1. Daddy

**Daddy**

"Daddy?"

"Daddy!"

Duo looked toward the bathroom as Cullen giggled and threw the shirt he was supposed to be giving to Duo across the room.

"Daddy!" Camille repeated.

"Daddy?" Carmine asked.

"Just a minute," Duo called back, snatching the shirt.

"But..."

"I want out!"

"I'm just saying," Heero noted happily. He was hoping the marginally controlled chaos of the house would work to his benefit. "I mean...it's been sixteen years since you walked out on him."

"We've been over this," Duo snapped back, cramming the shirt over his two year old's head.

"Dad!" Chelsea half-shrieked from the living room. "Dad! Steven took my wand!"

"Damn it, Steven," Duo started, stepping away from the two year old...who took the moment of distraction to pull the shirt back off with a wicked little grin.

"Dad!" Camille stamped her foot...which caused water to slosh loudly, and Carmine laughed wickedly herself.

"Cullen!" Duo admonished his toddler, turning back to the boy to start picking up the shirt again.

"Oh, come on," Heero wheedled happily. "Wufei has a kid now, for crying out loud. I think Trowa even has a girlfriend."

"Trowa is gay," Duo reminded his friend as he pulled one of Cullen's arms through the sleeve.

"Dad!" Chelsea wailed.

"Dad!" the twins chorused from the tub.

"Damn it, Jeron, where _are_ you?"

"What?" the thirteen year old sounded offended. "What do you want _me_ for?"

"Can I get a little _help_ here?" Duo half-shouted down the hall.

"What do you want me to do? I'm _trying_ to do my homework, but Bastian won't get off his damn _phone!_"

"Don't say that," Duo admonished.

"You say it _all_ the time," Heero reminded the man. "Where is Jada?"

"She...work. I..." Duo ran his hands distractedly through his hair.

"Dad!" the girls wailed, about to start crying.

"No, no, no," Heero caught the two year old before he could re-strip himself. "I'll spank your butt myself if you take that back off."

Cullen's expression instantly turned to a pout.

"I don't believe you," Heero noted, scooping the boy up and moving around Duo. "Steven!"

Steven, who was holding his sister's wand like a sword, turned to look at Heero with wide eyes.

"Now, Steven," Heero added, pointing at Chelsea, who'd worked herself just about into a fit.

Steven tossed the toy at his sister, crossing his arms as he stared challengingly at Heero.

"I _will_ tell your father," Heero noted pointedly, starting up the hall. "Is your homework done yet?"

"Mine's not," Jeron noted petulantly, moving into the bathroom.

Duo really was going to have a breakdown one of these days.

"Is it too much to ask for the home team to cooperate?" Heero retorted pointedly.

"I _am!_" Jeron snapped back...as one of the four-year-old twins tried to insist she wanted Daddy to help. This was ignored, which sent the other into a fit...as Duo swooped from the bedroom he'd been in and into the bathroom.

Jer, Steve, Chel, Cammy, Carmy, Cull...

Heero turned back up the hall and stopped in the door to the room Jeron and Sebastian shared.

"What?" Bastian asked challengingly.

"You can tell your girlfriend you love her when your homework's done," Heero retorted.

That got an irritated tsk as the boy sat up. "It's _not_ a girl. It's Tommy."

"Okay, you can tell Tommy you love him later," Heero retorted without missing a beat.

Bastian's face split into a grin before he glared at the guy.

"Listen," Heero muttered, moving across the room as Cullen relaxed in his arms, "you have just as much right to talk to your friends as the rest of us, but when shit needs done, you do it."

"But, Heero," Bastian started.

"No," Heero said gently...the twins were calming down some, but whichever twin Jeron had was still whining. Heero took the phone from the boy. "The house needs cleaned, your dad has to start supper, and I know you didn't finish your math...Tommy?" he added into the phone.

"Yeah?" the kid on the other end asked in an anxious tone.

"Bast has to get some stuff done around the house. He'll call you back later."

"All right," Tommy muttered...and hung up.

Wonderful phone manners.

Heero rolled his eyes and tossed the phone on the bed. "Come on," he added to the ten year old.

"Thanks," Duo muttered, looking up at him with those tired eyes.

Heero knew that Duo died without all the activity...that on those days when all the kids were doing their own things the man didn't know what to do with himself...but he really was getting overly stressed with a job, a nympho wife, and seven children.

If anyone had suggested he might be in that position back when they were teens, Duo would have laughed in their faces and noted he'd take the wife and leave the kids.

"I'm just saying," Heero added, shifting the toddler in his arms so he knew it was a firm hold. The boy was tired and would probably fall asleep within the hour. "Quatre asked about you a while back...I think he misses you."

Duo looked away, deflating again.

"Why would Quatre miss you?" Jeron asked blankly, looking up to his father from the hair he was toweling.

"I'll tell you some other time," Duo muttered, rubbing briefly at his face as he started to shake his head.

"Wufei could take or leave you...but he was always that way...Relena, though...she wants to see you. I still haven't told her you have kids."

Duo looked up at him sharply.

"Didn't tell Quatre, either, come to think of it," Heero noted.

"What an odd thing to forget for _fourteen_ years," Jeron muttered sarcastically.

"Isn't it just?" Heero agreed, smirking at him. "Kinda like I keep forgetting to tell y'all how old my girlfriend is."

"I think you mean how _young_ she is," the teen noted, raising an eyebrow as his little sister turned to hug him around the middle. "I saw her, and if I didn't know you wouldn't grab jail-bait..."

Heero ruffled the boy's hair with some violence, which was an altered smack upside the head.

Jeron laughed, leaning down to pick up his sister. "Come on, Millie..."

"_I'm_ Millie!" the other twin protested.

"No, you're Minnie," Jeron retorted, studying her eyes. "I can see it in your eyes."

She giggled happily at him as Duo scooped her up.

"_Heero_ doesn't see it in my eyes," she noted proudly. "He can't _tell_ I'm Carmine."

"I'll get it though," Heero retorted, following them from the bathroom.

She smiled happily at him.

"Chelsea, Steven, Bastion," Duo snapped sharply. "I _told_ you to pick your damned stuff up!"

"What?" Bastian demanded, moving down the hall and around them all to stare at the living room, then look to Chelsea and Steven in protest.

"I'll clean it!" Steven offered instantly. "I didn't mean to knock it over!"

"Get it up," Duo muttered, setting the four year old on the couch. "Your mom is home in about ten, and I want the house _clean._"

Heero set Cullen on the floor, and the boy made his way through legs to help the other kids with the cleaning.

"I need to start something that's not going to burn," Duo added in a groan. "You know...you can have her first-home," he offered. "I'll make supper...you get laid..."

"Dad!" Jeron was mildly scandalized.

Heero sniggered, giving Duo a look. "How about _I_ start supper and you get laid?"

"I got laid this morning," Duo retorted in Japanese.

That got all of the kids' attention.

"So did I," Heero noted.

Duo sighed, running his hands over his face again.

"Come on," Heero added, gesturing for the guy to follow him into the kitchen. "All I'm saying is that you need to just _think_ about doing the barbeque. Me, Zechs, and Hilde will be there...and I think Trowa's even over you."

Duo met his eyes, then smirked wickedly.

"What?" Jeron demanded, stopping beside the fridge to look between the men.

"Your father was very popular back when he was a couple years older than you," Heero returned sardonically.

"Popular?" Duo asked in a slightly snide tone. "It was the opposite."

"No, everyone knew and everyone envied," Heero noted.

Jeron considered that a long moment and looked back to his father with a raised eyebrow.

"Finish your homework," Duo ordered, gesturing him away with a few flicks of the wrist.

"You told me you'd tell me," the teen noted, pointing at Heero. "You tell me."

"Not with the little ears about," Heero retorted, starting to pull pans from the cupboards.

"No, you _won't_ be telling him," Duo said pointedly. "I did a lot of shit I'm not proud of and I don't need him hearing the sordid details."

"It was one kiss," Heero noted with a wry smirk.

Duo turned a glare onto him.

"You two kissed?" Jeron hissed at them in disbelief.

"If you even _think_ about giving him a demonstration," Duo said pointedly to Heero before the guy could move, "so help me I'll feed you to the wolves."

"Does _Mom_ know?" Jeron half-squeaked.

"Of _course_ your mother knows," Duo met his eyes. "It's none of your concern what shit happened before."

"But he said Quatre misses you, and you refuse to go see any of them ever...and he's said before that Trowa's gotten over you. I've heard it. Dad..."

"Jeron," Duo cut him off as Bast moved up behind his brother with interest.

Jeron frowned at him, met Heero's eyes pointedly, then turned and moved back up the hall.

"After supper you three have to take your showers," Duo noted loudly for the boys to hear. "No arguments."

"I'll take mine now," Jeron noted quickly. "That way I can be ready for bed on time."

"Good idea," Duo complimented him, looking around to Heero again.

"Come on, you can get away from the house for a while...maybe sleep in...sort of..."

Duo smirked at that.

"We can have a good old fashioned camp-out. We can run'em all day long and put the little ones down early...the older ones can get distracted..."

"That's what mom says," Bastian noted, raising an eyebrow. "Her voice is different, but she tells him that."

"Mind your own business," Duo ordered him. "Put your _stuff_ away so your brothers don't knock it over again, and make sure Cull isn't dead."

Bastian sighed and turned away.

"I'm home, babies!" Jada called over the house as the front door flew open. "Where are my babies?"

"Hey, Mom," Jeron called as the rest of the kids turned to greet her.

"Where's my husband?" the woman added, listening with interest.

Duo shoved Heero into the hall in his place, laughing silently and ducking around the middle thing.

"Hi, Jada," Heero muttered with a grin.

Jada laughed and turned...meeting up with Duo in the kitchen as the man started to laugh...and then fell silent.

"I'm gonna go do my homework," Bastian muttered with Cullen in his arms. "Chels is gonna start crying and Steven is probably trying really hard to think of a good reason for it that won't get him swatted."

Heero found it almost hard to believe that the boy was ten.

"Heero!"

"Heero?"

Heero looked down at the twins as they started tattling about something...which had Chelsea protesting at them.

"I did not!" Steven protested himself as Duo was somewhat forced toward his bedroom by his wife.

"You got it?" Duo asked, catching a doorjamb.

"It's fine," Heero reassured him. "You should come, though...it's just a week."

Duo gave him a look, then disappeared into the bedroom.

"So...basically," Heero added, focusing back on the kids, "you all need to knock it off."

"Nuh-uh!" Chelsea protested at him.

"Yes-huh," Heero retorted. "No tattling," he pointed at the twins, "no arguing," he added to Steven, "and for all that's good in this world, don't _lie_ to me," he added to Chels.

They all receded with a pout.

"Put your stuff away," Heero added, looking the living room over. "And then turn the TV on while I start dinner."

The shower started.

. . . sometimes Heero wondered if the house would fall apart if he and Hilde didn't make regular visits.

But at the same time...maybe Jeron would step up to the plate if he knew no one else was available. It wasn't exactly _fair_ that the thirteen year old could take care of his younger siblings without problems, but it had happened over the years, and as the oldest–and definitely as Duo's pride–Jeron could probably make an entire school fall into order, let alone his younger siblings.

Really, though, Heero was glad he and Hilde were _available_ to help Duo out.

...and he really liked being needed.

- -

E/N: Lol, yeah. Jada was Nikonightwind's idea...highly amusing. Hopefuly this story won't take me another three years to finish...meh. I didn't mean for American Decadence to take that long, so I apologize again.


	2. The Plan

**The Plan**

"So?"

"He hasn't committed yet," Heero returned, yawning as he ran his hands down his lightly bearded cheeks. He hadn't had to get up for work, but there were plenty of mornings when Duo would call and beg he or Hilde to run the kids to their various places. By this point, Duo would be pulling into work a few minutes late and a few minutes mussed with all his kids at various sitters or school.

"Did he listen, though?" Hilde muttered tiredly, glancing at him.

"I noted Tro is probably over him," Heero shrugged. "And I noted that Quatre still kinda misses him...but I didn't get all of it out before Jada got home."

"Aiya," Hilde shook her head as she poured herself coffee.

Heero had bought the house across the street from his friend a few years prior, and while he liked it well enough, he'd found a bigger house with a bigger yard for less money. He'd bought that place and sold the one he was living in. He was sorta sad that his morning routine of sitting with Hilde as their days started was going to end. His new place was a good ten minutes away from work, while this one was a good twenty.

He had about two weeks before he moved, and in that time was Wufei's birthday, and then the twins' birthday...and convincing Duo to go to the week-long camp-out he was planning with everyone. Duo was the only one who hadn't signed right up, but Duo was also the only one who'd managed to screw _everyone_ over in one way or another.

The sound of small footsteps made them both look to the entrance to the kitchen, where Hilde's four year old daughter Elaine was looking up at Heero with that happy-to-see-you smile. The little girl leaned against one wall a second as she surveyed Heero, then moved across to hug her mother.

"Good morning, angel," Hilde muttered, hugging her back. "Sleep good?"

"Yeah," Elaine replied, moving across the kitchen to hug Heero...and pet his facial hair.

"You pee?" the woman asked calmly.

"No," Elaine returned happily. "It's still dry!" as she exclaimed this, she plucked at one side of her pull-up.

"Good job," Hilde congratulated her. "Why don't you go pee and I'll be in to run you a bath in a second."

"Okay!" Elaine smiled at Heero, then bounced off down the hall.

Heero sighed.

"Aww, wanna be a daddy?" Hilde teased. "Take one or two of Duo's, it'd give him a hand."

The Japanese man guffawed at that in disbelief, looking up to his friend.

Hilde laughed happily, indicating a cup on the counter before turning and heading after her child.

"Thanks," Heero returned, collecting his cup.

"You need to propose," Hilde added loudly down the hall. "You've been with her a year now and you don't _notice_ other women...just bag her."

"And what if she says no?" Heero retorted, moving down the hall to the bathroom door. "Shit, Hill, she's only twenty-three. I'm perfectly happy to dote on her until she gets bored with me."

"And what if she loves you?" Hilde demanded, giving him a look. "Sure, you're ten years older than her, but that doesn't mean it won't work."

"I dunno," Heero shook his head. "Maybe we should just have a kid."

"If you don't want to be with her forever, why tie yourself to her for eighteen years?"

"Oh, now _that_ is just jaded," Heero muttered darkly.

"You're not getting any younger, you know. You're gonna get too old to _enjoy_ children."

"It's a good thing I have Duo's then, isn't it?"

Hilde laughed as she turned the water on. Elaine was bouncing around getting her toys ready.

"I'm gonna go sit," Heero added, straightening some.

"Check on Bren for me, huh?" Hilde muttered. "He's been sleeping until nine lately, but some days he'll lay there forever."

"Like I don't know it," Heero grumbled pointedly, moving down the hall to look into the little boy's room.

"Heero, she's _my_ wife," Zechs noted from his bedroom.

"Why do you _always_ say that?" Heero retorted, looking in at the man. "Are you gonna help me with Duo or play stupid?"

"I dunno, I'll see what Lena wants me to do."

That got the man a look.

"Dude, my sister was awfully pissed at him when he walked out."

"Everyone was pissed at him when he walked out. _We_ all got over it, though. You want coffee, or are you pretending this is a dream?"

"Yeah, I'll take some," Zechs muttered, starting to crawl out of bed.

Heero turned back to the kitchen, gathering another coffee cup.

Hilde would have her try at Duo later, and then they could figure out how to work him into agreeing. It wasn't like they hadn't been double-teaming him on it for the past month anyway. He'd gotten the rest to commit without much hassle...but Duo'd never been easy to deal with. Duo always managed to get that word in to annoy or distract when he decided he didn't want to do something.

The Japanese man was somewhat proud that he'd learned how to deal with the man...and who knew, maybe one of the others would take him _up_ on the offer of getting his wife distracted. He'd probably appreciate a full night's sleep.

- -

"Hey, buddy, how was your day?" Duo muttered from the love-seat as Jeron moved into the house.

"It was good," Jeron muttered, moving to drop on the actual couch. "I don't have homework tonight, but we have to write stupid report on something stupid."

"Stupid things can be entertaining?" Duo offered.

Jeron grinned at that, dropping back and looking around. "Where is everyone?"

"Your mother is getting the twins and Cull today, so I get to sit here and enjoy my coffee for once. I'm glad you're home, I miss civil conversation."

The teen grinned at that.

"My day was normal," Duo added with a shrug. "Your idea about telling your mother they moved my schedule earlier actually worked. I haven't been late all month."

Jeron sniggered at that, happy to be recognized.

"Did you realize that coffee tastes better when you don't get half of it sloshed down your front?"

"Does it really?" Jeron's eyes were sparkling.

"Oh my, yes...and there's so much _more_ of it than I always thought."

Jeron laughed at that and stood up. "I'm hot, I'm gonna change."

"All right," Duo sat back.

"So now that there aren't any little ears," Jeron added as he dug into his dresser, "why have you kissed Heero?"

"Because I'm bi," Duo noted in amusement.

"Really?" that startled the boy. "I've never seen you _looking_."

"Your mother has my full and complete attention," Duo explained in some amusement. "I don't have time to look around, anyway. If I turn away for too long the twins have run off."

Jeron sniggered. "So...is Heero?"

"He experimented, anyway," Duo shrugged as he took another drink. "When I was like...sixteen...something like that, I was with Trowa."

Jeron stopped.

"And then a year or so later I got with Quatre."

"So what happened? I always hear that you just walked out on them all from Hilde."

"I walked out," Duo made a face. "Shit happened and I did some bad things. I kept hurting everyone, so I grabbed my bags and left. I met your mom a year or so later and that was that."

"So...what's the Wufei thing?"

"Convoluted, complicated, and very simple."

"Dad."

"I'm not going to _give_ you the details," the man dismissed the protest. "I did some bad things and hurt some good people, and I'd really rather not have to face up to that."

"Is that why we can't go do that barbeque?"

"More or less."

"Even though we all love going camping? Even though some of those people want to see you?"

"Guilty consciences suck. Never do something you'll regret. Everyone else can get over it, but you still regret it."

"It's cheaper to camp in someone's big backyard," Jeron noted pointedly. "And I heard Heero saying the little ones can sleep in the house. I'm sure Chels and Stevie will want to sleep inside, too, so it's not like they'll wake up alone. Besides, Lanie and Bren will be there because Hilde and Zechs are going, too. Plus Heero...they really want you to go. You have vacation time saved up by now, anyway. You can't _tell_ me you don't want to get away from work. You can sleep in after Mom wakes you up, you know. If you don't have to get up and deal with the kids you can...and with that many adults I'm sure we'd be fine. Hell, Dad, I'll even help."

"Why do you _even_ care?" Duo protested. "It's not people you know."

"I know Hilde. I like Hilde...and I know Heero...I like, Heero, too. Zechs isn't so bad...and I want to _see_ your ex boyfriends."

Duo laughed evilly before he could help it, slapping a hand to his mouth.

Jeron laughed wickedly.

"You serious?" Duo added, thinking about that. "You don't care?"

"That you're bi? You're married to _my_ mother. Come on, Heero _really_ wants you to go...he's been bugging you about it all month."

"You pay _way_ too much attention to stuff that's not your business."

"I listen for my siblings," Jeron retorted, moving back to the living room. "What else I hear just happens. I know you want to go. We're gonna go in the end anyway...you may as well just give in."

"Irresistible, you fool..." Duo muttered almost to himself.

"What?"

"Sorry, old song," Duo noted, thinking back. "I dunno..."

"Dad," Jeron muttered, moving forward to stand in front of the man. "Not only does Heero really want you to go, he wants you to see his new house. That lawn is _huge_ so if it goes down you can just move your tent. He's having his own welcome home party without calling it that and if you don't go he'll be mighty upset."

"It's not _him_ that's the problem."

"Then what is?" Jeron asked dryly.

"I cheated on both Trowa and Quatre, that's what the problem is," Duo snapped. "I'm pretty sure they both loved me and I screwed them both over. Would _you_ want to face that? _Especially_ if Quatre actually _misses_ me? That's so _wrong_ because _I_ moved on."

Jeron frowned at his father a long moment and shrugged, looking away. "It's your call to make...but we could all use a change of scenery. I'm gonna go skate."

"You got your phone?" Duo asked tiredly.

"Yeah. It's even charged."

Duo nodded and Jeron moved out the front door.

Outside, there was the sound of the bus that would be bringing Bastian, Steve, and Chelsea. The man sucked his coffee down quickly, rising to his feet and moving to clean up the kitchen.

He was really going to have to talk to Jada.

- -

Heero was greeted by about twenty screams of pleased hellos from the various children...which included Hilde's two. He grinned slightly at the lot of them as they started chattering at him, then listened intently.

"He and Jada are in the room," Hilde noted from the kitchen. "In about ten minutes he has to run and drop Bastian off at practice, and Chelsea's dance class will be over around then. After that, Steven has his karate, and they still have to go food shopping."

"Geeze," Heero muttered. "How do they remember _all_ of it?"

Hilde laughed.

"Any luck?"

"Not yet."

"Okay, I'm gonna kidnap Jeron."

"Why?" she asked, blinking.

"He promised to mow the yard at the new place, and I imagine he could use some one-on-one time."

"Good idea...you should grab Bastian, too."

"That defeats the one-on-one bit, and he has practice in ten minutes."

Hilde giggled at that.

"What?" Jeron asked, moving into the kitchen to look at them curiously.

"Lawn," Heero explained, gesturing like he was steering. "Cash-moula."

"Oh yeah," Jeron grinned at him, bouncing a bit. He considered things minute and frowned. "I can't today, though."

"Why not?" Heero asked blankly.

"Because the twins and Cull are a hassle to take into the store."

"You're so sweet," Hilde muttered, moving to hug him. "I'm gonna stay with them. Chels will be here by then, too, so we'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" he asked, turning to look in the living room where the three little blond girls were coloring. Elaine's hair was a lot more pale than the twins', but they were all little blonds. Cullen and Brendon were drawing on pieces of paper that were on the coffee table.

"Look, they're fine," Hilde noted, joining him to study the children. "Chels will probably start a game of school or something, so we'll be good. Go earn yourself some money."

Jeron looked hesitant.

"Go ahead," Duo muttered, moving down the hall while tucking his shirt in. "Hey, Heero."

"Hey," Heero greeted him.

"If you go mow the damn lawn I'll agree to do the camp-out."

All of them focused on the man in shock.

"Hurry up before the good feeling's gone," Duo added pointedly, re-buttoning his pants.

Jeron grinned at that...and darted out the door.

Heero blinked after him.

"I was actually talking to you," Duo informed the Japanese man. "We have shit to do like you wouldn't believe."

"Just like that?" Hilde demanded. "We've been bugging you for a month and you just decide on a whim?"

"No, Jeron wants to go really bad and the kids could use time away from the city where they can get fresh air. Are you still standing there?" he added to Heero.

Heero grinned at him, then turned to bounce out the front door.

He really liked that he'd made friend with Jeron. If Jeron could get his father alone for five minutes he could just about talk him into anything.

The thirteen year old was standing by Heero's car with a shit-eatin' grin on his face. He nodded his head slightly in a 'how-about-that' sort of gesture, which Heero returned. The boy laughed delightedly and slid into the vehicle, watching Heero until he'd started the engine.

"You know...I'm thinking Bendie Bun sounds awfully good right now...maybe with a shake."

Heero laughed at that, pulling onto the street. "Whatever you say, buddy. I mowed the lawn last night, so we're home free."

Jeron laughed happily, reaching forward to turn on the radio. "I always knew I liked you."

"Shit," Heero retorted sardonically. "You like my bass."

Jeron smirked at him, and turned up the stereo.

- -

E/N: Standard disclaimers apply. The plot on this one isn't going to get horribly serious. It's kinda a bit of fluff and bother for amusement purposes. This was my out for writer's-block so I apologize if any of it's coming off rough and sharp. Also, I upload my files in html format. I try to catch all the little things before I put it up, but I don't know that I have thus-far...so any weird boxes or characters are apostrophe's, ellipses, quotations...and maybe question marks, but I'm not sure on that.


	3. Reunion

**Reunion**

"So he's coming, right?" Quatre asked nervously, looking around the back yard. "He's married and stuff?"

"Yep," Heero agreed, munching down another mouthful of peanuts. "She's Jada."

"You never said...they have kids?" Quatre asked, still nervous. He'd been badly hurt when Duo'd walked out on them sixteen years before, but it _had_ been sixteen years. It'd taken Quatre a good five years to get over the issue entirely, and he'd had a good ten years or so to forget the other man existed. Heero'd brought him up, though, and Quatre had realized that the idea of _seeing_ Duo again made him anxious.

"Yeah, they do," Heero agreed in amusement.

A car door shut, and Quatre focused on the side of the house.

"Heero?" Jeron called.

Quatre gave Heero a confused look as Trowa moved so he could see around the Japanese male.

"We're back here, Rone," Heero called loudly. "We've mostly set up."

"Rone?" Trowa asked.

"Jeron," Heero agreed. "That's his oldest."

"Oldest?" Quatre echoed.

Relena moved up to the picnic table with her two year old son, Jamal, studying the edge of the house herself.

Jeron moved around the corner with a lot more bags than he should have carried...and the sight caused Quatre and Trowa to hiss.

Jeron was a mini-Duo.

Heero blinked as he realized it, moving forward to help his young friend quickly.

"Holy shit," Wufei muttered, studying the boy.

"What?" Jeron asked, meeting his eyes. "Who are you?"

"Wufei," the Chinese man noted. "You look just like Duo did when we met him."

"Without the braid," Trowa agreed, blinking several times.

"Who are you?" Jeron asked him as well.

"Trowa."

Jeron's face lit with an evil smirk as he looked to Quatre.

"Quatre," Quatre agreed–which made the teen grin more and look up to Heero.

Heero raised his eyebrows.

"Jeron!" Bastian protested. "Dad said hurry up!"

Jeron sighed and darted back around the building.

"Damn," Quatre hissed, staring at the ten year old.

"How many kids does he _have?_" Trowa demanded when Steven moved around the corner...with Chelsea a step behind.

"Oh, a few," Heero noted sardonically. "Didn't I tell you his wife's a nympho?"

The pair stared at him.

"Seriously?" Relena asked blankly.

"Yep," Heero agreed. "Hey, Duo!" he added happily as Jada and the man himself appeared...with the twins and Cullen.

"Holy shit," Relena muttered.

"Hey, Heero," Duo returned, scooping up Carmine–at least, Heero thought it was Carmine.

"How many kids do you _have?_" Quatre demanded.

"Seven...why?" Duo returned hesitating.

"Seven?" Quatre demanded in disbelief. "You have _seven_ kids?"

"You must be Quatre," Jada noted, studying him over with the boldness Jeron had inherited. "Hi, I'm Jada."

Quatre rose to his feet with the others to shake her hand, studying her with severe interest.

"This is Cullen," Jada added, indicating the boy. "He's two...these are Carmine," she indicated the one Duo was holding, "And Camille...they just turned five last week. That's Chelsea, she's six...and Steven, he's eight. The older two are Sebastian and Jeron. Bastian's ten, and Jeron is thirteen."

"They're...all yours?" Quatre asked Duo blankly.

Duo nodded.

Quatre and Trowa both focused on Heero as they sat again.

"What?" Heero demanded.

"You never told us he had kids at all, let alone seven of them," Quatre retorted.

"Didn't seem important," Heero shrugged.

"Well...hi," Relena muttered, setting Jamal on the table. "This is me and Wufei's little boy...he's Jamal. He's two. I'm Relena."

"I knew you on sight," Jada noted, grinning at the woman. "He's an adorable little boy."

Wufei was eyeing Duo...actually, so were Trowa and Quatre.

"I love their hair," Relena returned the compliment, indicating Camille. "I almost want to bleach mine and get the waves put in."

Jada laughed happily.

"Hi," Duo muttered to the group uncomfortably. "Long time no see."

"And whose fault was that?" Trowa retorted.

"Good point," Heero cut that off quickly. "Get over it. We're all here now and I want to start the grill."

"Where's Hilde and her lot?" Duo muttered, obviously not sure what to do with himself.

"She had to finish packing. They'll be heading out after Zechs gets off work. It'll be an hour yet, I'm sure."

"Dad, where do you want me to put our tent?" Jeron asked, moving into view with the thing.

"Ask your uncle."

"Heero?"

"Ask your mother," Heero retorted.

Jeron stopped and gave him a look.

Heero laughed at that, pointing to the open area between the two tents already set up. Quatre and Trowa had decided just to share one instead of having their own.

"You need anything done?" Sebastian asked, looking around the yard with interest. The little ones were eying a play-set Heero'd set up.

"Oh, Heero," Jada muttered, noting it herself. "Was that already here?"

"No...that was Aja's idea," he smiled proudly at her. "She pointed out that with a yard this big I can have your kids all the time."

Jada smiled back and gestured toward the thing to her kids. It was like the permission was all they were waiting for. Carmine struggled from Duo's arms and ran with her sister.

"Other than cooking dinner and making a beer run, we're good," Heero added to Bastian. "Here," he added, tossing his car keys to the boy.

Sebastian laughed happily at that, tossing the things back to him instantly.

"_You_ offered!" Heero protested.

Sebastian gave him a look, but Chelsea was starting to complain at Steven...and he ran to them quickly to stop the squabble.

"Wow," Trowa noted.

"I'm gonna help Jer," Jada muttered, kissing Duo...and sauntering off.

Duo stood hesitantly, looking them all over.

"Come on, Mal," Relena said quickly, scooping up her boy. "We can go introduce you to Cullen, huh?"

She walked off.

Wufei moved to the edge of the table, raising his eyebrows at Duo.

"Uh...hi," Duo repeated lamely.

"You look tired," Quatre noted, rising to look Duo in the face.

Duo avoided his eyes, shrugging. "I'm busy."

"You look tired," Quatre insisted, moving to stand directly in front of him.

Duo met his eyes, obviously uncertain.

Quatre leaned forward and pulled him into a hug. "I thought I'd be pissed at you," he muttered. "I thought I'd hate you...but now..."

"I'm sorry," Duo returned, hugging him back. "I know I pulled some shit."

"You _could_ have called," Quatre noted, setting back to cross his arms. "I can't argue with you with all your kids standing around...and we really need to argue."

"I'd just as soon not," Duo noted pointedly. "Besides, the phone works both ways. If you really wanted to talk to me, you coulda called me."

"How do you have _seven_ kids?" Trowa demanded, taking Quatre's place for a hug. "I can't even keep a girl for a month, let alone get her pregnant."

"I thought you were gay," Duo retorted.

"I got over it," Trowa admitted with a little smirk. "Something about Heero pissing me off."

"Oh, please," Heero retorted. "It was _your_ magazine."

Duo guffawed at that, looking to Heero in disbelief.

"He's stupid," Heero explained with an easy shrug. "We got over it."

"So...seven?" Trowa repeated.

"Nympho," Duo agreed.

"Seriously?"

"Four times a day when I can manage it."

"You must be in heaven," Wufei noted, rolling his eyes.

"No...I'm quite content with twice a day," Duo retorted. "I had counseling that explained it all as a want of physical touch. If you can't tell," he indicated the children, "we haven't found the root of her issue."

"How do you manage four times a day with seven kids?" Trowa asked blankly.

"Good morning, good day, and good night," Duo explained flippantly. "If I disappear, I don't suggest you come looking for me."

"With seven kids?"

"Yeah...it got complicated about fourteen years ago."

Quatre sniggered.

"You laugh, but I'm serious." He dropped onto the bench beside Trowa and rubbed his face, looking the kids over. "How's life?"

"I can't keep a girl," Trowa repeated. "Can't find a guy...so I'm just in limbo."

"Company ate my soul," Quatre returned. "I remember fondly the days of lore when I was in Italy with someone I loved and we'd go be romantic for more than half the day."

"Too bad you loved the wrong person," Duo sighed.

"You can beat yourself up about it all you want, but we had fun together, didn't we? If you think back beyond the cheating we were happy together."

Duo made a slightly gagging noise.

"I'm happy," Wufei noted. "I have a wife and son I adore, a job that doesn't stress me...a nice house..."

"Boring as hell, isn't it?" Heero asked happily.

"You have _no_ idea," Wufei agreed.

Heero laughed. "You all know me. I got a new house...I'm engaged...my job is easy-breezy...and I'm definitely _not_ bored."

They were all staring at him.

He laughed delightedly, looking them all over and shrugging.

"Engaged?" Duo demanded. "Since when?"

"About eight last night, I think," Heero returned happily, almost looking at his watch. "I was trying to figure out if she _wanted_ to marry me...asked her if her parents told her to leave me since I'm older and stuff...and she snorted and said they were demanding when the wedding was...and then asked if I ever _thought_ about marrying her...how about that? The girl proposed to me," he laughed again.

"Holy shit," Wufei muttered.

Heero laughed more.

"Where _is_ she?" Duo asked, looking around.

"She works for another half hour...half hour drive, she should be showing up around when Hilde does."

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Duo, Wufei, and Heero all looked toward Steven, who was at the top of the tower. "Watch me!"

"I'm watching, show me," Duo called back, standing up with interest...as the little boy scampered somewhat monkey-like over the edge.

"There's...nothing for him to do that on," Heero muttered, blinking.

"Steven!" Jada protested.

"I did it!" Steven cried, landing happily on the ground and jumping to be sure the adults could see him. "Did you see me? I did it!"

"He's the middle son," Duo noted to the rest. "That's good that you didn't get hurt," Duo called, moving across the grass. "But Heero said that there's nothing there to climb on, so I suggest you don't."

Steven pouted.

"Come on," Duo instructed the boy. "You can help me get the food into the house, huh?"

"I wanna help!" the twins chorused, moving to look at him with their bright eyes.

Steven was pouting even more at that.

"No," Duo retorted. "You two stay out here and play with Chels and Cull...Heero, the house is open, right?"

"Yep," Heero agreed.

The pair moved around the building.

"Huh?" Wufei asked blankly.

"When Steven starts doing the 'watch me' stuff it means he's starting to feel neglected. Duo always makes sure there's something the two of them can do together and doesn't let the girls come. He tries to have stuff for them all in one-on-one situations, but there _are_ seven of them...granted, he'd only have to do about five different things, but it gets hard."

"Why didn't you _tell_ us he had seven kids?" Trowa demanded, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Why? What difference does it make?"

"He looks like hell," Quatre muttered, frowning after him. "Is he okay?"

"He's riding a breakdown," Heero shrugged. "We all do what we can, but Jada is demanding. She doesn't mean to be, but she is. She's not as bad as she used to be. She needs to go back into counseling. She's got some sort of issue, but they can't afford the sessions, and even if they could the kids have bizarre schedules."

"And you don't help at all?" Quatre almost accused.

"I help all the time," Heero retorted pointedly to him. "Half the time when any of you call me, I'm at his house or I'm with one of his kids. I know it seems overwhelming, but I want to make a point. We can keep Bast and Jer, but send the rest with the women to shop or something...you'll see. We can do that tonight, Hilde's game for just about anything.

"Damn," Jeron snapped, drawing all of their attention...since Jada had gone to the play-thing and was talking to the kids and Relena.

"Don't say that," Heero called happily.

Jeron stopped and looked up at them, then gave Heero a look and gestured with the poles he was holding.

Heero sniggered and moved to assist.

"He's just like...just like Duo," Quatre breathed, staring at the boy. "That's unnerving."

"If you think this is bad, wait until he's seventeen," Trowa noted in amusement.

Wufei smacked him upside the head.

- -

E/N: hehe, thanks Cara, glad you're liking it.


	4. Step One

**Step One**

"All right, no porn," Heero muttered in conclusion to Jeron. "And if you really have to, don't download anything. I have a file in there somewhere and I'm sure you could find it." 

"Oh _ha_," Jeron retorted, focusing back on the page Heero'd opened for him. 

"We'll be back, baby," Jada called into the tent. "No porn." 

Jeron looked up at the woman with raised eyebrows. 

"What?" Jada asked curiously. "You don't need to look at that shit...or download a virus onto Heero's laptop." 

Heero laughed wickedly and bent to move out of the family's tent. 

"Just remember the volume's on," Aja noted to the boy with a grin. "If you're looking at things you shouldn't, they're usually noisy." 

"I'm _not_ gonna look at porn!" the teen protested, trying not to blush. 

Aja laughed wickedly and tweaked Heero's beard. She kissed her now fianc? then turned to follow Jada and the children. 

"Dad," Sebastian added, stopping to turn and look at his father, "if we find K.V. can I get it?" 

"You'll have to talk to your mother about that," Duo retorted. 

"I know," the boy grinned. "But see, you just said yes, so if I find it she can't tell me to wait and talk to you." 

Duo grinned. 

"Clever," Quatre complimented him. 

"I have to be or Jeron gets everything," Sebastian returned with a happy grin, then turned and scooped up Cullen, who was lagging behind. 

Duo hesitated a moment, looking around at the others. "I should go with them." 

"No," Heero cut him off before he could even finish. "With all of those women, they'll be able to keep the kids in check. Sit down and take a breather." 

"I dunno," Duo muttered, dropping down onto the bench. "We need anything?" 

"Nope, Fei got the beer," Trowa toasted the guy somewhat. "The womenfolk are going shopping, and we've all got a good hour or two on our hands before the laptop dies and poor Rone can't watch his porn." 

Duo smirked at that. 

"I'm _not_ looking at porn!" Jeron called irritably. 

Duo laughed happily, looking the yard over as the cars started. He started to stand, but Heero shoved him back down. "I told you no. The women've got it." 

"Here," Quatre added, passing a cold can into Duo's hand. "Let's have at it." 

"Thanks," Duo returned, not quite meeting the blonde's eyes. 

"You _will_ look at me," Quatre informed him happily. "I haven't worked my ass off for the last ten years to be ignored." 

"I'm not ignoring you," Duo snapped, flicking a glance at him. 

"Dad, you're ignoring him," Jeron noted. "You won't look at him, and unless you have to you won't talk to him." 

"Thank you, Rone," Duo said dryly. "I appreciate the help." 

"Thought you might, distracted me from my porn." 

Trowa sniggered. 

Quatre gave Duo an amused look. 

"I just...come on," Duo added, setting the can down, un-opened as he studied the table. "I screwed you all over but Heero." 

"Screwed'em all but me, too," Heero noted, cracking the can open for his friend. "Get over it. We were angsty teenagers and the world was against us." 

Duo smirked at that, meeting his eyes. 

"Drink it," Heero added, moving to sit beside Trowa. "Think about it, huh? What would have _really_ happened if you'd argued that out with Quatre? You didn't understand that what you were doing was looking for physical affection, and Quatre was going in and out of being all snuggly with you. _You_ didn't help a damn thing," he added, smacking Wufei in the arm. 

"Hey, we all decided I was guilt-free here," he protested. 

"Uh, I don't know if _you_ remember," Duo noted pointedly, since he hadn't been around to agree on the matter, "but _you_ were the one pursuing that night. You came to bitch at me about the shit with Tro, then you were all _over_ me until you woke up and freaked out because we'd had sex." He met Wufei's eyes as he thought. "Actually, you started the kissing, you started the touching...but I did the rest." 

Wufei all but blushed, giving him a dirty look. 

"Oh, yeah, real innocent," Trowa muttered to Quatre. 

Quatre made a face. 

"Actually, I shoulda just said no like I meant to," Duo noted, looking to Trowa a moment. "I was trying to piss you off anyway." 

Wufei snorted. 

"It's all good," Heero reassured them. "Wufei needed the love." 

The blond almost choked on his laugh as Wufei focused on Heero in disbelief. 

"Hey, man, I'm engaged," Heero noted happily, deciding the new subject was more interesting than ancient history. "Nothing could go wrong right now...get me the peanuts," he added...and climbed off the bench to get them himself, looking the yard over briefly. "You think she'll want a summer wedding? Kinda nice to set up a gazebo," he gestured toward the back of the property. "Get all the little flower girls in summer dresses and the boys in matching shorts." 

"I still can't believe she's only twenty-three," Duo muttered. 

Wufei and Trowa focused on Heero sharply. 

"Why the hell you think I didn't say anything?" Heero asked happily, pulling the canister of peanuts from the box of munchies beside the cooler. "Hey, Rone?" 

"Yeah?" 

"I got your pop...and there's ice cream in the freezer." 

"Ooh, get me some ice cream," Duo called. "I'll..." he hesitated, unable to think of a good bribe as Jeron stopped to give him a curious look. 

"Maybe get me some, huh?" Wufei asked uncertainly. "If it's not a problem, I mean..." 

"He's so cute when he's being polite," Heero teased, grinning more. 

Wufei smacked him. 

Heero laughed and made a vague gesture to the boy. "I'll give you five dollars to get us all some without bitching." 

"Um...Mom took _all_ the kids so I can spend time with Dad, and you think I'm gonna quibble over getting ice cream?" 

"Money is money," Duo noted in amusement. "Stop being polite and let him line your pocket if he wants to." 

Jeron flashed his father a wicked grin, then darted toward the house. 

"He's a good kid," Heero noted to the others. "Once you get to know him you'll freak out, because it's Duo on a good day all over...you know how he used to drop everything to help? Jeron doesn't ask for reciprocation until he's spent most of his day with you." 

"He looks a lot like you, compared to the girls," Quatre noted, looking to Duo. "Did I mention I stopped by your house a few times?" 

Duo rolled his eyes, grinning slightly. 

"I _should_ stop by your house some time," Trowa noted. "Relieve you of your afternoon duties." 

"She gets off work at three, gets home by four," Duo noted. "Show up about three forty-five and you have yourself a deal." 

Trowa stared at him. 

Heero laughed wickedly, getting himself another beer. 

An hour wore on slowly as the group bickered, bantered, and argued about old times. It seemed fine at first, but after a while Quatre started noticing that Duo's eyes kept straying around the yard. Trowa noted that several times, Duo all but got to his feet. It was Wufei who initially realized that Duo'd focused internally, and he stopped his recount of Jamal's first day home mid-sentence to meet his eyes. 

"Huh?" Duo asked blankly, looking up and around, rising from the bench and stopping. 

"What's up?" Wufei asked. "You're all..." 

"It's too quiet," Duo explained, dropping down again. "I should go call Jada and make sure she's all right." 

Heero smirked, tossing his cell phone across the table to the guy. 

"You're all antsy," Quatre muttered, touching his leg briefly. 

Duo stopped, focusing sharply on that hand as Quatre quickly drew it away, blinking. 

"I think this is the longest time he's had to himself in about six years," Heero noted. "Hey, Jeron? How's the battery?" 

"Um...that thing in the corner?" the teen had gone back into the tent at some point. 

"Yeah." 

"It says...sixty percent. Is that good?" 

"That's fine," Heero reassured him as Duo moved away from the table. "You find anything good yet?" 

"There's this law in Wisconsin that you can't shoot a whale from a truck," the kid replied in amusement. "Isn't Wisconsin land-locked?" 

"I do believe it is," Heero agreed, grinning more. "What are you doing?" 

"I found this site," the boy explained, moving around inside the tent until he could look out at them and show them the screen–it was text only, so they couldn't read it. "It's got a bunch of dumb laws that people forgot about on it...I forget where," he focused o the screen a second, "but you can't fish from a zebra's back." 

Heero sniggered happily at that and gestured for the boy to go about his business. 

"He's really not looking at porn," Trowa noted in seeming disbelief. "I thought that's what the internet was for." 

"I thought that's what your magazines were for," Heero retorted. 

Trowa sniggered and smacked him. 

"You know, this could be the reason you can't get a girl," Quatre noted. 

"Why can't _you?_" Trowa retorted. 

"Because the company ate my soul," Quatre shrugged. 

Wufei sniggered happily at that, taking the canister of nuts. 

"You sure? I can come," Duo persisted, moving back to the table. 

"No," they all heard Jada return. "We're perfectly fine. I found you some jeans, what color shirts were you looking for?" 

"I wanted a blue one," Duo noted. 

"All right," Jada returned. "We'll be home in an hour or two...this is a big mall." 

"I can come get the kids," Duo protested. 

"Duo," Jada reprimanded. 

He frowned. "I just...we're kinda sitting around here and there's the toy." 

"You've had the kids all week," the woman reprimanded. "I'm going to go, and you're not coming to get them. We'll be home, the kids will be ready for bed, and..." 

Duo laughed wickedly as the woman started to hang up. "Oh! Jade!" Duo called quickly. "Jade?" 

"Yeah?" 

"I need some more boxers...those ones, huh? You ripped the last ones I had." 

"It's not my fault they're flimsy," she retorted happily. "I'll grab more if I find them." 

"All right." 

"Love you," the woman noted. 

"Love you, too," he agreed, dropping back onto the bench as the phone really disconnected. He frowned, tossing it to Heero. 

"No, we're _not_ going to get the kids," Heero informed him sweetly. "None of y'all but Jeron are driving my truck, and he doesn't have his license." 

"Huh?" the teen asked. 

"Nothing," Heero returned. 

"Come on," Duo protested. "It'll be a quick run." 

"I've had a few too many, Duo," Heero returned sweetly, downing half his can. "I can't drive, so you'll just have to wait." 

"But she's got them all...all but Jer, and Jer's the one who helps out the most." 

"She didn't sound too stressed," Quatre noted sardonically. "Relax, enjoy the peace." 

"The peace is the problem." 

Quatre grinned. 

"Come on," Duo persisted. 

"No," Heero returned happily. "So let's get back to this boxer thing...she ripped them?" 

Duo started sniggering. "She's feisty if I'm being slow." 

"You can afford to be slow with that many kids around?" Trowa asked blankly. 

"Jeron keeps an eye on them in the day...but the ripping usually happens around bed time. I swear she ruins more of my shirts than twenty women at once." 

"I've never had twenty women at once," Wufei noted pointedly, grinning. 

Duo grinned at that. "It gets hectic." 

They _all_ gave him a look. 

Duo started laughing. 

"So...does Jeron know?" 

"Yeah, we kinda explained it to him when he was eight or so," Duo noted, thinking about it. "He didn't understand why his mother kept pulling me off. I swear I'm going to hell for explaining anything to him at that age." 

"He's a lot more mature than most kids his age," Wufei noted. 

"The nature of having six younger siblings," Heero agreed. "He's usually keeping an eye on the twins no matter what...kinda like Bast keeps an eye on Cull. Stevie and Chelsea are always together, even if they fight almost constantly." 

"I need to do something with Chels," Duo noted, thinking about it. "I should go get her and..." 

"No," Heero cut that off. 

"Oh, come on," Duo protested. 

"You can take her with us on the breakfast run," Heero noted. "In the morning." 

Duo sighed. 

"I get the impression you're a little lost," Trowa noted to the guy. "How often do you get alone time?" 

"Some days Jade picks the little ones up...that's a good half hour." 

"Which he uses to clean the house," Heero noted. "I got there one day when he'd had an hour to himself and I could have sworn he was child-less." 

Duo grinned, giving him a look. 

"And then the day he was at home sick. He was genuinely _sick_," Heero gestured to the others to be sure they comprehended that. "When I showed up at two, he was doing the last load of _rugs_." 

"The clothes were already sorted!" Duo protested. "I just ran them all through..." 

"And folded them, and put them away, and gathered up all the rugs in the house to be washed," Heero agreed in amusement. "Sit back and take a breather, Dew. Your house was clean before you left it, and I don't need a thing done around here. Focus on how much money your wife is spending or something. I know for a fact they have K.V., so there's a good fifty on Sebastian alone. You know Jada will get them all something, and she's getting you clothing." 

Duo shrugged. "We're not wanting for money, Heero." 

Heero gave him a look. 

"I had a boyfriend," Quatre noted suddenly. "A couple years ago, I had a boyfriend, but he just wanted me to buy him shit...I'm no one's sugar-daddy...well, I'll be Aja's sugar-daddy, but..." 

Heero threw a peanut at him. 

Quatre started sniggering. 

"I had a girl that was younger," Trowa noted, thinking back. "Selfish little shit...great in bed, but I couldn't really _deal_ with her..." 


	5. Relative Creativity

**Relative Creativity**

"I kept saying we should get the kids," Duo muttered quietly to Jada. She was snuggled against his chest. They were all in their own tents settling down for sleep, and all the kids were out cold. "Heero kept insisting that no one but Jer could drive his truck." 

Jada giggled slightly at that...and they all heard Aja start giggling wickedly. 

"No, really!" Heero protested quietly. "Don't laugh at me..." 

"I'm not, you're just being cute," she returned quietly. 

"What?" Relena asked. 

Heero made a startled noise...which made Aja start giggling again. 

"No, really," Relena protested. "How's he being cute?" 

"He has a grand idea for our wedding," Aja explained as Heero made a noise of protest. "I'm just struck by the backwards situation. Isn't usually the girl making the plans?" 

Relena giggled herself. 

"I decided the colors?" Duo offered curiously. 

"You're _all_ listening?" Heero protested in a tone of amusement. 

"Considering that none of us are asleep and the girls are all curious about the giggles, I'd have to go with a yes," Zechs noted. "You know as well as I do that Duo doesn't get any sleep until midnight, so why are you being all cute for her when we can all hear it?" 

Heero laughed. 

"I'm curious, though, Dew," Hilde muttered. "Don't you two..." 

"We have seven children, Hilde," Jada noted pointedly. "If you think I'm gonna be screaming his name you have something coming." 

Duo laughed wickedly...which had everyone else sniggering as well. 

"Is Jeron sleeping?" Heero asked, blinking. 

"I hope so," Duo noted in amusement, glancing at the sleeping bag his oldest son was in. There was no movement or shift of breathing pattern, so the former pilot assumed the boy was out. 

"How about Bast?" Aja asked. 

"I really _really_ hope so," Duo agreed, looking beyond his teen to the second lump. The rest of the children were sleeping inside. 

"Your _kids_ are in there?" Quatre demanded in disbelief. 

"Only two of them," Jada reassured him. "You guys are really nosy, do you know that?" 

"I never heard of a nympho with seven children," Trowa retorted. "Kinda peaks my interest." 

Duo sniggered. 

"The timing and things," Wufei agreed. "I have a hard enough time working around Jamal." 

"Wufei!" Relena protested. 

Jada laughed happily. 

"Huh?" Jeron asked, rolling over to look at his parents. "What?" 

"Nothing," Duo muttered. 

Jeron froze. 

"You _were_ sleeping, weren't you?" Heero asked so the boy knew he hadn't caught his parents, but not so quick that it seemed contrived. "I'd almost say you should come over here." 

Jeron blushed, glad it was too dark to be seen. 

"They can sleep in here," Trowa noted. "It's not like me'n Quatre are all that close." 

"You keep all your shit under wraps," Heero noted in amusement. 

Quatre started laughing. 

"I'm going back to sleep," Jeron noted. "I think I'll sleep in the house after this." 

"Oh, but you were sleeping so good," Jada protested. 

He laughed, smacking her leg. 

"Was Heero talking about the gazebo again?" Duo asked, deciding to change the subject. 

"Yeah, and summer dresses for the twins," Aja agreed. "Opposite colors and such." 

"Ooh, that'd be cute," Jada noted. 

"He added something about a girlie hairstyle," Aja added. "That's when I started laughing...because his grandiose ideas don't have fine details." 

Jada sniggered. 

"Like up in a bun?" Relena asked curiously. "Danglies?" 

"And flowers," Heero admitted. 

Aja started laughing again. 

"You have a pattern in mind?" Duo asked curiously. He didn't want Heero too embarrassed and knew that Aja didn't realize her laughing and telling everyone else about it would shame him. 

"Not really," he admitted. "Just..." he started to sigh. 

"Have you looked for gazebos yet?" Jada asked before he could dismiss it all together. "Would you want a white one? There are other colors." 

"I dunno," Heero muttered somewhat grumpily. 

"You're gonna have to talk to that girl," Duo muttered quietly to his wife. 

"Aww, but I like it," Aja protested, not hearing that. "We can go look tomorrow or something." 

"Sure," Heero muttered, turning over. 

They could all sense the girl's uncertainty. 

"Let's go to sleep," Duo suggested. "We can make a field trip of it and see if my kids can find the perfect thing." 

Heero started sniggering at that. 

"All right," Aja agreed nervously. 

Duo yawned as Jada wrapped around him. He resituated their position so neither of them would get squished. 

"We could get the tables from my offices over here," Quatre noted. "Have the reception and stuff." 

"That'd be good," Heero noted. 

"Go to sleep," Jada suggested, nuzzling at Duo slightly. "I'm really tired." 

The majority of the group did just that. It didn't take too long for Quatre to offer another helpful hint, and then Heero offered more of his idea for speculation. The pair kept making plans until well into the night...they just weren't sure they'd remember them in the morning. 

- - 

Heero yawned as he rolled over, realizing Aja wasn't laying with him anymore. He sat up, blinking at the sunlight coming through the tent walls and looked around. He could hear Steven and Sebastian muttering to each other, and the quiet conversation of the women...or at least Jada. 

It took him a few minutes to decide that sun-up meant the end of sleep, so he sighed and climbed from his warm little spot, cracking his neck. 

"Morning, sunshine," Jada called into him. "Was wondering if you were going to sleep all day." 

"Huh?" Heero asked, sliding his shoes on and climbing from the tent. "What time is it?" 

"Six forty-five," the woman replied with a grin. "You wasted half the day already." 

Heero grinned at her, moving to kiss his fianc? "I wanna brush my teeth, then me'n Duo can make a breakfast run." 

"He already left," Aja returned, blinking at him. "He took Chels. They left about fifteen minutes ago." 

Heero stared at her in disbelief, then focused on Jada. 

"What?" 

"I was supposed to go," he explained, frowning more. 

"Oh, you can go next time," Jada muttered, gesturing at him dismissively. 

Aja giggled. 

"No! I was gonna talk to him," Heero protested, feeling a little indignant and a little injured. 

"He was going to wake you up, but I told him not to," Aja protested. "He said you were supposed to go, but I didn't think you'd want to." 

"I didn't hear any of that at all," Jada noted, frowning slightly. "Sorry, Heero." 

He sighed and nodded, looking around. 

"Go shower and stuff," Aja suggested. "They should be back by the time you're done, and then we can plan something to do." 

Heero sighed and nodded, rubbing at his neck as he started for the house. He'd really wanted to talk to Duo about getting Jada back in counseling. Now that he had the larger house, he had the _room_ to have the kids over. It was going into summer, also, so if they could get Jada going throughout the summer, they could...help her work it out. He wouldn't be bothering if Duo didn't look so close to breaking sometimes. Before the kids had come, Duo'd been extremely content with his girl, but having one kid, let alone seven, had gotten him in too deep. 

He'd had the little kids set up for the night in the living room, which was just off a little hall that led to the back door. He'd been sure to set up lights that left no shadows along that corridor, because the adults _were_ all outside. 

He heard a slight...almost bird...noise and stopped at the entrance of the living room to look in. 

Camille shifted slightly where she was laying to give him the saddest little look he'd ever seen. 

"Hey, sweetie," Heero said quietly, moving into the room. "What's wrong?" 

"Where's my mom?" she asked in a whisper. 

"Out back," Heero returned, scooping her up. "Are you okay?" 

The little girl nodded, looking sad. 

"It's all right," Heero reassured her, turning and heading toward the door again. "Your dad went to get breakfast." 

"I was scared," she muttered quietly. 

"You coulda come out," Heero half reproached her as Jada turned to blink at him. 

"I don't know where I was," she explained. "I forgot." 

He smiled and kissed her forehead as she climbed into her mother's arms. "I'm going to shower," he added. 

"Huh?" Jada asked blankly. 

He blinked at her. 

"Japanese, love," Aja informed him, tugging at his beard. "You always forget that not everyone knows that language." 

He grinned and kissed her. "I'm gonna take my shower," he added clearly. 

Jada grinned at him, and he turned back to the house. 

- - 

"We'll be back later, then," Jada muttered happily, holding Cullen and Camille's hands. 

"It shouldn't take too long," Duo noted, moving to follow. 

"You're not coming," Jada informed him, turning to grin at him. "You're staying here with your friends." 

"Then let me keep the kids," he retorted. 

Jada scooped Cullen into his arms and hugged him tightly as she grinned at her husband. "Mine." 

Duo snorted, then gestured toward the toy to the twins. 

"But I wanna go," they chorused to him, moving closer to their mother. 

"But you can stay here and play on the toys," Duo protested, kneeling down to be at their eye level. 

"Last one in the car's a rotten egg!" Heero called. "One, two, three, go!" 

The girls squealed and ran off. 

"Heero!" Duo protested. That particular race game was one he himself utilized almost constantly. 

"First one there sniffs armpit hair!" Steven cried, speeding off after his siblings. 

Jeron sniggered, looking to Sebastian. 

"We'll be back," Jada reassured Duo, leaning forward to kiss him. Cullen was listening to the giggling squeals of the twenty some-odd children on the premise. 

Heero considered that a moment, realizing that it wasn't twenty. It was more like ten...or seven, depending on if you considered the oldest two children. 

"You wanna stay with me?" Duo appealed to the two year old. 

Cullen smiled happily at him, but snuggled more in his mother's arms. 

"You're gonna have _all_ the children," Duo persisted to Jada. 

"Yeah, we're not children," Sebastian muttered to his mother. 

Jada laughed and ruffled his hair, turning away. 

"Bye, Daddy," Cullen muttered, waving at him and smiling a very toothy smile at Heero. 

Heero grinned back. 

"What do you think, Jada?" Relena called, darting across the grass with Jamal. "Should I really get him that chair?" 

"He'd like it well enough," Jada shrugged. "My thought processing is more about making all the kids feel special without making one of them stand out." 

"Yeah," Relena muttered, kissing the forehead of her two year old. 

"I told you I'd take him," Wufei protested, moving to follow. "You wanna stay with Daddy, Mal?" 

"No," the little boy returned, clinging to his mother. 

Wufei stopped, staring after them. 

"Now you run off with Brendan in your arms," Zechs suggested to Hilde. "Elaine's already in the van, I'm sure." 

Hilde gave him a very level look. 

Zechs started laughing. 

"Actually, though," Hilde noted, scooping up their two year old, "you just gave me permission to spend money." 

"What?" he demanded. "I did not!" 

Hilde smiled the same sort of sweet smile Jada had given Duo, winked at the pair of them, and followed the other women around the house. 

"You really hate me, don't you?" Duo demanded of Heero when the engine started. 

"Only a little bit," Heero reassured him, draping an arm around his shoulder and looking to the two boys who were watching them expectantly. 

"Ice cream?" Jeron asked happily. 

"Mom said we had to wait until after supper," Bast protested. 

"Ice cream," Heero agreed. "And can you get me that twelve pack of beer?" 

"Okay," Jeron muttered, gesturing for his younger brother to follow. Bastian looked from Jeron to his father, then followed after, giving Duo an uncertain look. 

"Hey," Duo added, "don't forget the laptop." 

"Ooh, yeah!" Jeron agreed...and disappeared inside with Bastian on his heels. 

"He's always so worried he'll miss out on something at the store that he neglects to realize that he's missing out at home," Heero noted to Wufei happily. 

"Relena was going to leave Jamal with me," Wufei noted in reply. "She had him all week because I worked late, and even now she's taking him." 

"You give me shit about not having my kids and you're having the same problem," Duo noted. 

"No, we give _you_ shit because you can't _function_ without your children," Heero corrected. "I know you think it's a dream, Duo, but once upon a time you did whatever the hell you wanted without giving a second thought to it." 

Duo smacked him in the arm. 

"Dad, Rone got _four_ scoops!" Sebastian called, running from the house. 

"Way to tattle, son, good job!" Duo complimented him. "You must hone those skills in your sleep." 

Bastian stopped, blinking at him. 

"Four scoops is all you can have," Duo added to him. "And _don't_ tell your siblings or your mother." 

Bastian blinked even more at him. 

"Get me the laptop," Heero added, "I wanna show them something." 

"I thought you'd have a model already," Duo noted in amusement as Sebastian headed hesitantly back to the house. 

"A model?" Wufei asked. 

"The gazebo?" Zechs offered, raising an eyebrow. 

"Huh?" Quatre asked, moving closer himself as Trowa climbed from the tent to join them. 

"Hey, Zechs, you want ice cream?" Jeron called from the back of the house as he held the door open for his sibling. 

"Uh...yeah, sure, thanks," Zechs agreed. 

"What are you talking about, model?" Wufei persisted. "A model of the gazebo?" 

"Mostly," Heero agreed, frowning. "I want Jada to finish it for me." 

Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei stared at the man in disbelief. 

"Thanks, bud," Heero muttered, taking the machine from Sebastian. "There's chocolate syrup in the fridge if you're interested." 

Sebastian looked from him, then up to Duo. 

Duo nodded once in consent...and the boy grinned happily before turning to run back into the house. 

- - 

E/N: Sorry, I meant to update this earlier but I've been busy today. 


	6. Take Two

**Take Two**

"Did you have _ice_ cream?" Jada demanded levelly of her two boys. 

"What?" Jeron asked before Sebastian's guilty look could be noticed. "What are you on about?" 

Jada laughed and ruffled his hair as he grinned almost ruefully at her. 

Quatre couldn't _believe_ how much _like_ Duo his oldest son was. There were hints of him in his second oldest, too. Hell, all the way down to his youngest you could see his personality. Granted, their mother's bluntness was inherited just as much. 

But there were moments when Jeron just seemed like the pilot of Deathscythe. That cocky self-assurance with the knowledge of what he could get away with. His comment to his mother had been an _obvious_ lie. The grin he'd given her had echoed the same grin Duo always gave her, and the _timing_ had been the American all over again. 

"You're looking at my son," Duo noted pointedly in Chinese. "The way you are looking at my son is about to piss me off." 

Quatre gave him a half-guilty glance, then gave him a look as the actual comment registered. 

"What?" Jeron asked, blinking at them. 

"Nothing," Duo returned, sitting up slightly. 

"I saw chocolate syrup," Jada added to Sebastian. The little kids were off doing their own thing. 

Heero tsked at the boy in disbelief. 

Bastian grinned at his mother impishly. "I have no idea what you're talking about." 

Jada laughed and moved around the table to sit with Duo. 

"I'm just amazed at how _like_ you he is," Quatre added in Chinese himself, studying the other male. "Have you looked at the pictures of yourself at his age?" 

"I wasn't exactly in a family environment at his age," Duo shook his head. 

"No, look at the shit from the war," Wufei muttered. "Look at the first pictures of us they had up and then look at your boys." 

"Dad," Jeron protested, frowning at him. 

Duo looked Jeron over a moment, then looked to Sebastian. He shook his head and looked back to the other two. "I have no idea what you're talking about." 

Quatre guffawed. 

"Jada!" Heero exclaimed, bouncing across the yard from his tent in a startling motion that had them all jumping. "Jada!" 

"Yeah?" she asked, noting that he had his laptop flipped over in the notepad style. 

"I got one!" Heero explained, forcing Duo over by the simple expediency of starting to sit on him. "See?" he added, indicating a simple loop he'd drawn. 

"Okay," Jada agreed as Wufei blinked. "More like that?" 

"Yeah," Heero agreed, leaning against Duo. "Like...one two...five...six...six of them." As he said the numbers his focus changed. 

"What?" Quatre asked blankly. 

"What?" Heero returned intelligently. 

"You want them all like that, or the down ones, too?" Jada muttered, taking the stylus from him. 

"Exactly!" Heero grinned at her almost proudly. 

"What?" Wufei repeated. 

Duo grinned at them both and rolled his eyes. "They'll explain it when they're done." 

"More..." Heero made a gesture across the screen and Jada erased the line she'd just made. 

"They'll be at this for a while," Duo added, shifting slightly. "Rone, can you get me a beer?" 

Heero glanced up at the boy briefly, then started muttering to Jada again. 

Wufei was staring at him in disbelief as the thirteen year old moved to the cooler. 

"You have _no_ idea," Duo reassured the man in amusement. 

"Dad...we're out," Jeron noted, raising one can. "This is the last one." 

"Good thing Duo was the only one who asked for one?" Quatre asked curiously. 

Jeron gave him a look and shook the can at Heero when he'd straightened. 

"Shit," Heero muttered, sitting up properly again and smacking Duo in the thigh. "We'll be back." 

"You're not taking my thirteen year old on a beer run," Duo informed him dryly as he started to climb up himself. "We'll be back," he added to Quatre and Wufei. "You need anything?" 

Jeron bounced across the yard and set the last can in front of Quatre...then bounced after Heero. 

"I thought you said..." Wufei hesitated, frowning at that. 

"Heero's not taking my thirteen year old on a beer run," Jada reassured the pair as the men started away. "Duo is." 

Wufei smacked a hand to his face. 

Duo started laughing as the twins focused on them and absolutely _bolted_ to join the group. 

Quatre wondered if it was normal when Heero scooped the twins up...without a moment's hesitation. 

- - 

"It's just..." Duo started shaking his head. "She was worse before." 

"I know she was worse before," Heero retorted in Japanese. "_You_ were worse before...but you got the help. She's got to have something like you do." 

"Did," Duo corrected. 

"My point exactly," Heero looked out his window. 

"Did you say...help?" Jeron asked, thinking hard. 

"Huh?" Heero asked, turning to look at him. 

"Oh, you didn't," Duo muttered, sliding back in his chair. "Tell me you didn't..." 

"You _told_ me that learning languages was good." 

"But not _this_ language," Duo snapped, focusing on him with narrowed eyes. "If you were supposed to understand us we'd be speaking English." 

"What?" Heero asked almost uncertainly. 

"Tell your uncle what you've been doing on his laptop," Duo ordered his thirteen year old. 

"I was doing it at school, too," Jeron was pouting somewhat. 

"Wh...what am I missing?" Heero glanced back at the teen. 

"How much did you _learn?_" Duo demanded. 

"I can say cat and dog," he muttered with a slight grin. "Like, _that_ is a cat...easy stuff. I can almost write the not-kanji one." 

Heero turned to look at him properly. 

"You always tell me how you're gonna teach me!" Jeron said to Heero defensively. "You didn't start, but...I thought I could start, and then ask you when it got hard." 

Duo drummed his fingertips against the steering wheel, annoyed. It wasn't like he didn't like that his son was curious. He fully believed that the kids should learn as many languages as possible...he just used Japanese as the alternate, and it definitely would _not_ have been the first choice he had for his son. 

"You have a lot of Japanese on your computer," Jeron added, looking away from Heero. 

"You're...teaching yourself...Japanese?" Heero asked hesitantly. 

Jeron nodded. 

"Cool," Heero beamed at him proudly...and started muttering simple questions at him. 

Duo sighed. He'd known that Heero would take it and fly as soon as Jeron was suitably forceful about the matter...just the timing wasn't great. He glanced in the rear-view mirror at the twins, who were watching avidly out the window, then shook his head and focused on the drive. 

That was one thing he liked about Heero's rig. It was smooth and he'd altered the engine so it reacted somewhat like a gundam. 

Duo wasn't sure why he _was_ driving the rig, especially after Heero's insistence that only Jeron would drive it...but he wasn't going to complain, and if Jeron really wanted to learn Japanese he wasn't going to stop him. Chinese would work just as well...he'd just have to think some about it...and take a more active roll in what language the boy chose next. 

- - 

"We'll be back, then," Heero muttered. The man yawned some, covering his mouth with his hand before grinning at Duo. "This shouldn't really take too long. If you blow my house up I'm going to kill you." 

"I don't blow stuff up," Duo retorted saucily. "I cut it down." 

Heero snorted and started after Aja. 

"You cause me physical pain, love," Jada informed her husband. "Purely physical pain." 

"I got tired of emotional pain," Duo noted. 

"Too bad it was too late for me," Quatre grumbled almost snidely. 

"I think it was because of you I got over it," the American studied the blond a long moment. "It's a good thing I got over it, huh?" 

"Asshole," Quatre returned, rubbing at his face. 

"Like you didn't know that to begin with." 

Jada raised her eyebrows at her husband, and Duo shook his head. 

"Oh," Quatre muttered bitterly, not seeing that. "You mean when you were chasing Heero with a holy vengeance and every other word from your mouth was ▒fuck me'?" 

"Yeah, that's when," Duo agreed happily. "Isn't that funny? I annoyed him _endlessly_ back then...and he still got all jealous when I got with you...and look at us now." 

"You're not _trying_ to be offensive, are you?" Jada asked crisply. 

"Not yet." 

Quatre shook his head and looked away. 

"Mom?" Chelsea moved up to the table. "Can I get something to drink?" 

"Sure, baby," Jada muttered, pointing at the cooler. "Bring it here." 

Chelsea grinned at her and darted to the cooler. 

"I just don't understand," Quatre hissed at him. 

"Understand what?" Duo asked levelly. "I hurt you, I hurt Trowa...I hurt Wufei...hell, I hurt Heero. My leaving hurt Hilde...what happened with Wufei hurt Relena...I wasn't doing anything but hurting everyone." 

"Didn't you even care about me?" Quatre demanded, frowning slightly and glancing at Jada. "I don't mean anything against you, understand..." 

She nodded. 

"I did care, that's why I ended up leaving," Duo shrugged. "You didn't have the balls to rein me in. You didn't have the self confidence to make me scared of losing you...and you sure as hell didn't have the stamina to keep my attention." 

"Mom, what's stamina?" Chelsea asked curiously, setting a pop on the picnic table. 

"How long you can keep doing things," Jada returned. "Don't eavesdrop, dear, it's a bad habit." 

"I wasn't eavesdropping," Chelsea protested. "Dad's annoyed bad, so he's talking loud." 

Duo didn't quite look at his daughter, clenching his jaw. 

"See?" Chelsea moved around to touch the muscles that had flexed. "He's...he's mad." 

Quatre was staring at Duo's face. 

Duo snapped playfully at his daughter's hand and she giggled, offering him her pop. "Thank you, love," he muttered, taking a drink and winking at her. 

"Your mouth looks funny when you're mad," the little girl noted, taking the can back when he'd had his drink. 

"I'm glad you noticed it," he returned wryly. 

Chelsea grinned at him and turned to flounce away. 

Duo grinned and looked to Jada. 

"She's my daughter today," Jada agreed. 

Duo grinned more and sighed, looking back to Quatre. "If I would have stayed with you, the same shit that happened with Trowa would have happened all over again. You saw how absolutely pissy he was with me...you know he didn't get over me back then..." 

"Were you really that good?" Jada asked sweetly. 

"Evidently," Duo shook his head at her somewhat pointedly. "If I would have stayed there you would have ended up resenting me. Do you resent me now?" 

"I stopped thinking about you for ten years," Quatre retorted. 

"I don't really believe that, you know," Duo noted. "I think you just tried." 

"You always were conceited." 

"Yeah...that's the thing about my ego, I can tell when I'm right." 

Quatre gave him a look, then narrowed his eyes. 

Duo shook his head slightly. "It's just...nothing I was doing was working. Nothing I attempted came through–hell, Q. Think about what else was going on back then? We were doing another damn tour, Zechs broke up with Lucratzia...half the damn teachers hated me...and what you don't know and I didn't even suspect is that I was riding the line between over active and nymphomaniac. I wanted intimacy, and the only way to get it was sex. If you recall, I didn't do the whole one-night stand thing. The people I wanted and chased after were the people I was close to." 

"So why weren't you chasing me around?" Quatre snapped. "You were tailing after Heero like a fuckin' alley cat in heat...and in retrospect, I don't think your comment that even made me think of _us_ was meant like that." 

Duo shifted back where he was sitting, considering that. It was entirely true. The first day...he could still remembering the way Quatre had repeated his words. 

"We didn't have sex until we were in Italy," Quatre noted almost bitterly, frowning at the man's wife. "That was...weeks, months? I don't even remember. It had been a long time...hell, Duo, we didn't even sleep in the same bed until we'd been together a while..." 

"And considering our relationship lasted six months at the most...if even, that was pretty damn fast, huh?" 

Quatre almost flushed, looking away. 

"I liked you...you liked me," he added. "I knew you, you knew me...I enjoyed your company, even when I was in the pissiest of moods..." 

"No," Quatre shook his head. "That's not the issue...we were close, and you weren't trying to fuck me. Why weren't you trying to fuck me?" 

That question actually startled Duo...because he didn't know _why_ he hadn't been pursuing Quatre. They'd been roommates, friends...classmates. All things considered, Quatre would have been the easiest person for him to get into bed with. 

"I...was close to you anyway," Duo decided finally. He focused on the fence across the yard. "I got the intimacy I wanted from you without sex." 

Quatre looked down. "Then why did you cheat on me?" 

"Because you were scared," Duo said quietly. He'd had this conversation with his therapist at some point. Quatre had been a large mile-post in Duo's life. Quatre'd been a steady that hadn't been quick-sex. Quatre'd been someone he'd cared about in all aspects of life, and he'd never been able to relieve himself of the guilt attached to their relationship. 

The blond met his eyes. 

"You'd never committed yourself to anyone...oh," Duo chuckled a bit coldly, "and let's not forget the little deal you made with Heero, huh?" He rose to his feet as the blonde's eyes went wide. "Yeah," Duo noted pointedly. "Heero and I talk." 

- - 

E/N: The deal referenced here is in chapter one of American Decadence at the very end, where Quatre said if Heero could get Duo away from him, that Heero could have Duo. Sorry this chapter took me so long to get up, I've been busy. 


	7. Bonfire

**Bonfire**

"Hey," Trowa muttered, sliding up beside Duo as the man filled the coffee pot with water at the sink. 

"Hey," Duo shifted back slightly, put off by how close the other actually was. "Dude, personal space." 

Trowa sniggered and nipped at his throat and jaw line before pulling back to look up in his eyes...just enough that they weren't touching. 

"Okay, fine," Duo muttered, rolling his eyes and moving around the man back toward the coffee pot. "What do you want, psycho?" 

"Quatre is petty." 

Duo stopped, turning to look at him again. 

"Quatre got damn petty when he was about twenty," Trowa explained, sliding onto the counter. "He was with a petty bitch, and she did things to spite him, and he started doing things to spite her. When they broke up, he didn't stop doing petty things." 

"Okay," Duo muttered, pouring the water into the machine. "I'm following so far." 

"Your conversation with him earlier...I heard it," Trowa shrugged. "He came back into the tent all pissed off and ranted at me quietly for a while before storming out." 

"All right...get to the point where this is something I need to know." 

"He's going to do something to you," Trowa shrugged. "He's going to try to get under your skin." 

Duo smirked a bit, looking back to the man, then tilted his head. "You wanna talk?" 

"No, you're as big an asshole as ever. The only way I'll ever want to talk is if you're begging my forgiveness in tears...at least about the past. I'm petty, too, but you kinda evened the score somehow. I don't remember what it was, but we're even now." 

Duo grinned at that, turning the coffee pot on. "Okay. That's good to know." 

"What if I'm being petty and lying to you?" 

"The only threat you've caused so far is that you were eyeing my son," Duo retorted, moving to lean against the counter across from the other. "And my son is intelligent enough to get the fuck away from you if you're being creepy." 

"Your son is funny," Trowa noted with a grin. "He smirked at us bad...me and Quatre. When he realized who we were he had a very evil little look in his eyes." 

Duo shrugged. 

"I got the definite impression he'd heard tales." 

"I told him what was going on. I explained to him why I hadn't wanted to come to this. His winning argument happened to be that he wanted to see my exes." 

Trowa laughed a guffaw of disbelief. "That is so _wrong!_" 

Duo laughed wickedly. "I know...I'm sorry...but..." 

Trowa smacked him in the arm, leaning against the counter next to him and looking at him almost from the corner of his eyes. "You look good. Time did you good." 

"You're not so bad yourself...what's this shit Heero was going on about? Magazine?" 

"I got a Playboy," Trowa shrugged in amusement. "He caught me looking at it one day and was teasing me." 

Duo closed his eyes, amused. 

"I only got it to prove to a coworker that it had no appeal to me...kinda ate my words bad there." 

"And that led to your breakup? You think you were suddenly straight or something?" 

Trowa snorted. "Actually, Heero teased me about it bad, embarrassed me. Ended up muttering about threesomes and stuff. It went downhill when he found someone at a bar who was game...she was pretty enough, but..." 

Duo shook his head slightly. He'd heard an altered version of that story from Heero back when he and Trowa _had_ broken up. Heero hadn't noted the teasing, but the guy'd known it'd been how very interested in getting a girl involved he was that had caused the split. 

"Now my very important question," Trowa turned to face Duo. 

"What?" Duo asked dryly, knowing he was going to wish he hadn't asked. 

"Do you know how to use a condom?" 

Duo died laughing, smacking Trowa in the stomach as the guy laughed himself. Their laughter increased as the impromptu tussling match continued, and it wasn't until Duo had Trowa pinned to the floor that he realized how inappropriate the entire thing probably was...but with the genuine laughter in Trowa's tone, Duo realized that the guy hadn't gotten any ideas. He had gotten ideas, but that was far from new. 

He sniggered, climbing to his feet. "I'm getting too old for this shit," he noted, offering a hand up. 

"Then stop provoking it," Trowa retorted. "I'm still young as ever." 

Duo grinned at that, rolling his shoulder joint some to test damages, then shook his head and leaned against the counter again. 

"I don't know, Duo," Trowa added tiredly, moving to stand next to him again. "I thought about you...even missed you once or twice." 

"Yeah," Duo agreed quietly. "Once or twice." 

Tro grinned and shook his head. "Really, though...seven?" 

Duo laughed and elbowed him, shaking his head. 

"Was she like...constantly pregnant?" 

"Every other year or so," Duo noted in amusement. "You'd be amazed at how hard it can be to make her wait like...two seconds." 

Trowa grinned. 

Duo rubbed at the back of his neck with a frown and glanced at his watch. "Actually, I'm shocked she hasn't chased me down yet...I don't suppose you know where Quatre _is_, do you?" 

"And here you were offering to let me come over," Trowa half chided. 

"I'd just like to know in advance, because she likes to pounce me and pull me into...public restrooms...the car...supply rooms...I swear she wants us to get slammed in jail for ten years." 

Trowa gave him a half amazed look. 

"And if I refuse to leave with her and it's other adults she does this thing where my pants are open before I can protest...kinda..." he scratched at the back of his neck as he thought. "It gets kinda awkward if it's not close friends." 

The other male sniggered appreciatively at that. 

Duo flashed him a grin and shook his head. "That was before the counseling, though...the in front of people bit. She'll still find a secluded place for us to hide in, but if I refuse she just gets pissed at me and walks away from me." 

"How does that help her?" 

"I haven't figured that one out yet," Duo shrugged and grinned. "The house gets unpleasant around then." 

"Who would have ever thought you'd be the begged," Trowa muttered. 

"I never begged, Trowa," Duo reminded him pointedly, studying his face seriously. "I was damned conniving, but I never begged–not even Heero, though if Quatre hadn't stepped in, I might have." 

"_Cocky_ bastard!" Trowa exclaimed, starting to laugh. 

Duo grinned in return, then turned to dig out coffee cups. "I just want to know what her parents are saying. He didn't want to go see them with us all here...well, I think there was more to it than that, but he didn't want to leave us behind." 

"What?" 

"Aja?" Duo offered. "Talking of Heero...sorry, segue was rusty." 

"Oh, is that what he's doing?" 

"Yeah, he said that her parents demanded it when she informed them they were engaged." 

"Dad, Mom says you don't have to grow the plant yourself," Steven muttered, moving into the kitchen and looking between them curiously. "What are you doing?" 

"Knitting a sweater," Duo retorted wryly. "What's it look like?" 

The kid grinned and moved across the room so he could stand against Duo's side. "I told Chelsea she might get hurt if she climbs the monkey bars and she told me I was stupid. Am I right?" 

"Yes...and no," Duo agreed, studying the boy. "Anyone could get hurt doing it...is she doing something dangerous?" 

"Her hands are weak," Steven protested, extending both of his and making fists with them to show what he meant. "She slips off, and she's gonna break her stupid leg or something." 

Trowa forced himself not to snort, noting that Duo was giving him a semi-pointed look from the corner of his eye. 

"Can't she?" the boy appealed, frowning up at his father. 

"I don't think she could from that height," Duo noted, squatting to be more on the boy's eye level. "They make kid's toys like that...like..." Duo hesitated as he realized that Heero wouldn't have _bought_ the thing. He'd have designed it himself. "Uh...they don't make them too high for kids," he explained quickly. "She should be all right on those ones." 

"But she keeps falling, Dad," Steven moved a bit closer. "She's gonna get hurt." 

"She'll heal," Duo noted almost pointedly. "I'm glad you care, but she'll be fine." 

Steven frowned at that and nodded. 

"Tell your mother that it's not the plant, it's the clay," Duo added, straightening again. "Tell her the kiln won't heat up properly and Trowa's fixing it." 

Steven flashed him the same grin he'd probably flashed his mother, then darted out the door to relay the message. 

Duo grinned somewhat proudly, looking back to Trowa. 

"What was that all about? Why did you stop mid sentence?" 

"Because Heero's an architect," Duo reminded him. "Not only an architect, but an obsessive one. He wouldn't have gone out and bought a store model. I'm fairly sure he designed it himself, so he may not have thought to keep it low enough to the ground." 

Trowa smirked. 

"Come on," Duo added, turning back to get out another cup. "Hurry up and fix the kiln." 

Trowa sniggered, and moved to the fridge to get the milk. 

- - 

Heero was tired when he moved around his house to rejoin his friends. He saw Duo first. The man was holding Cullen, rocking him slightly since the boy was sleeping. Next was Zechs. The older male was holding Elaine and moving almost in sync with Duo. Jada had one of the twins in her arms, and the other twin was sitting by herself in front of...a fire? 

The Japanese male stifled a protest as his next step brought him to an angle that he could see an above-ground fire-pit. 

"Heero-san!" Jeron exclaimed, bouncing up with a stick in his hands. "Erm...ka...desu..." 

Heero grinned at that. "How do you figure?" 

Jeron hesitated, thinking, then made two short strokes in the air, followed by a long one and a little off-shot at that. The four strokes for ka, Tuesday. "Ka, hi, fire, Tuesday," the boy added. 

"Kayoubi, Tuesday," Heero explained. "Hi can be fire...I think this is more like kagaribi." 

Jeron repeated the word to himself, then smiled happily. "Wufei bought it." 

"I hope you don't mind," Wufei added quietly. "We were all talking about roasting marshmallows and all those things we didn't get to do...that I want Jamal to do," he indicated Relena, who was sitting with their toddler asleep in her lap. "I didn't want to call and interrupt, and figured that we could just wait for you." 

"But I'm realistic," Duo noted happily. "As soon as he decided to buy it, I went to find fire-wood for it. Trowa got the wieners and mallow." 

"Wieners and mallow?" Trowa demanded of him levelly. "Duo, do you _think_ before you open that mouth of yours?" 

Duo laughed wickedly. 

Heero blinked at that. It had only been three days, and the pair were back to themselves...at least on some level. 

"Anyway," Jada muttered. "How'd it go? Where's your fianc? Did her mother kidnap her to save her from the big nasty man?" 

That got her a very level look before Heero grinned slightly and shook his head. "It went fine. They all informed me that you wouldn't die out here all alone in the big wilderness or we would have been back before sunset. Sorry about that." 

"No thing," Wufei muttered with a grin. 

"They made her take a pregnancy test," Heero added, raising his eyebrows as he watched expressions. "As soon as we got in her mother pulled her away." 

Jada's jaw dropped and Duo guffawed as Hilde and Zechs both focused on him in disbelief. 

"Prudent," Jeron muttered with a wicked smirk. "Make sure it's not a shot-gun wedding." 

Heero sniggered himself. He'd been thinking it all along, but he hadn't wanted to jump to conclusions. 

"That's so...bad!" Relena protested. "How can..." 

"Is Aja pregnant?" Chelsea cut the other woman off curiously, not noticing that her treat was about to hit the coals. 

"No," Heero returned, grinning slightly. 

Steven reached over and lifted his sister's pole slightly. 

"How can she ask that so calmly?" Quatre snapped irritably. 

"Because Jada takes pregnancy tests every few months," Duo retorted. "We have this problem with adult matters that I can't joke about now that I realize all the kids are listening in." 

Trowa sniggered. 

"You're so horrible," Zechs reprimanded him. "Jeron, can you go lay out blankets for the babies?" 

"Okay," Jeron muttered, yanking Sebastian with him. The pair disappeared into the house. 

"Where is she, then?" Jada added, looking around. 

"She went to wash her face and stuff," Heero muttered, bending down to scoop Carmine into his arms. The little girl had been expecting it, and climbed onto him almost before he'd finished bending over. "You okay, baby girl?" 

"I'm tired," Carmine explained. "But Mom can't hold us both anymore and Dad has Cull." 

"Did I miss anything spectacular?" Heero added, starting to rock the girl, unconsciously falling into sync with Zechs and Duo both. 

"Not really," Jada muttered. "Duo decided to be an ass to Quatre about what happened before, then decided he had to make you new cups since the coffee beans were well grown." 

Trowa sniggered. 

"Same old, then," Heero noted to Trowa, who grinned. "You're in an awfully good mood." 

"Okay, Dad!" Jeron called. "The blankets are down!" 

"I'll be back," Duo muttered to Heero, turning with Zechs on his heels. It only took a few moments for Relena and Hilde to follow. 

"You okay?" Heero asked Quatre, studying the blonde's obviously unhappy face. 

"Give me more chocolate and I'll get over it," Quatre grumbled, digging into a bag by him. 

"Huh, I thought that only worked for women," Jada muttered, turning to look at Aja as the younger woman joined them. 

"Ha," Quatre retorted irritably. 

"Where'd this come from?" Aja asked curiously. 


	8. Tag

**Tag**

"Duo?"

Duo turned to look at Trowa, who was walking slowly down the hall and looking into rooms.

"I'm in here," the American muttered from the bathroom.

"I know where you are," Trowa noted. "I was just warning you I'm coming in."

"I'll be done in a second," the guy returned, rinsing his face over the sink.

"I need to talk to you," the brunette argued, sliding into the bathroom and all but shutting the door.

"Huh?" Duo asked, turning to look at him with interest.

"I decided I like you again," Trowa shrugged. "That means I feel obligated to warn you about things I see exploding in your face."

"I suppose I can accept that."

"No return compliment?" Trowa looked almost offended. "And here I thought we were working on being friends again."

"Vague comments like 'I like you again,'" Duo made air-quotes, "make boy-bands say eww."

Trowa gave him a very level and uncomprehending look.

Duo sniggered and shook his head, turning back to the mirror. "Sorry...I didn't think that was an opening for one."

"Okay, I can accept that," Trowa muttered, glancing into the hall before closing the door.

"That give me pause, though," Duo added, hesitating.

"Are you plucking your _eyebrows?_"

Duo laughed at the tone of it and shook his head, raising the tweezers. "If I don't do it, Jade does. It hurts when Jada does it and she also tends to shape them and such things. I'm not a girlie-man, and she doesn't realize the fine line."

"I'd almost say married life suited you if you hadn't looked so shitty when you showed up."

"My children take a lot out of me," Duo mused as he studied his left eyebrow. "And my job brings me down...and then there's the nympho part, and that just..."

"You worked Friday, huh?"

"Yeah," Duo agreed, plucking at an offending hair. "Half-day, though."

"So most of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday...and you're back to your cheery self."

"I got to sleep through the night last night," he noted in amusement. "I'm one of those people who show up to work on Monday and disgust everyone with my cheeriness. Something about waking up to my wife wanting my attention..."

Trowa laughed, moving around to take the tweezers from Duo's hand.

"Hey, now," Duo shifted back. "No one touches my eyebrows but Jada or Heero."

"I'm sure that makes sense," Trowa retorted, sitting back to study the guy. "How can you be so completely normal with me?"

"Something about fifteen years of not seeing you," Duo shrugged. "I didn't hurt you any worse in the end than I had at our break up, and my leaving like that just annoyed the shit out of you, didn't it?"

"But I get you to cheat."

"I can't afford to cheat, Trowa," Duo noted, taking the tweezers back and focusing on the mirror. "If we split up she'll take the kids and leave me alone. You know me well enough, and I haven't changed so much over the years that being alone is an option for me...and it only got worse with time. Besides, I'm not going to bow and scrape for your forgiveness. By now I'd hope you'd be over it."

Trowa snorted.

"I know you're not in here to watch me groom," Duo added, glancing at him. "What's up?"

"Jada seems nice enough, but she's really getting on Quatre's nerves. Her sidelong comments at him are making him feel his insecurity."

"What insecurity?" Duo asked dryly. "He's a frickin' billionaire, and to hear him talk, he can have any damn supermodel he wants."

"Okay, Dew," Trowa's voice was only a _touch_ sarcastic, "I know for a _**fact**_ that you're really not _that_ stupid."

Duo stopped, meeting his eyes.

"He was...what? Sixteen when you two got together? He's probably six months younger than you...and what did you do? You...started by kissing Heero. Then you kinda went and cheated with me after you two had been all lovey-dovey in Italy for a week or so...and _then_ you cheated with Wufei. Remember, Quatre's sixteen. Instead of owning up to it, though, you pretend that nothing happened, which in turn gets Wufei to use Quatre whilst drunk...and Quatre's _just_ seventeen...before you freak out and admit it all...and walk out of his life."

That made the American feel sick to his stomach as he met Trowa's eyes.

"He wasn't good enough for you," Trowa added in a quiet sort of hiss, leaning forward to be sure he had Duo's complete attention. "He tried as absolutely hard as he could, he loved you...he wanted you happy...and he wasn't good enough for you."

The American set the tweezers on the counter as the sick feeling turned to actual nausea.

"On top of that, most of the people he calls friends are only fair-weather. If he's having a serious issue, he can't talk to them about it, he has to dig around until he can find me or Heero. I don't have a good steady job, I move from apartment to apartment and can't always afford a phone line. He can usually get Heero, but they aren't really _close_. I'm the only person he can open up to...Wufei tries, but his upbringing gets in the way. Quatre hides behind a mask, and when he's hurt and feeling insecure he turns into an asshole to keep people away."

"So he's going to withdraw from the group," Duo sat on the edge of the tub. "Wow, I feel sick."

"Oh, but you're such a wonderful forge for character."

Duo gave Trowa a look.

"I suggest you start by apologizing for being an ass yourself," Trowa slid off the counter. "Then I suggest you pull your wife aside and ask her to be nicer. He's very vulnerable right now, and if you cause him any _more_ pain, I'll make sure you regret it."

The American made a kind of dismissive gesture without meeting eyes, taking a steadying breath.

Yeah. There was a _reason_ he felt so damned guilty.

Maybe he could...fix...this. Maybe he could really apologize to Quatre like he should have eons ago. He _had_ liked Quatre as a friend once upon a time...

The least he could do was point out to Jada that her sarcastic commentary needed to wait until later in the week. She wasn't attacking Relena because Relena had a naОve aire, even now. Wufei, Trowa, and Quatre himself didn't seem naОve and they certainly weren't showing that they were offended by his wife's behavior.

...Duo really hated new situations.

- -

Jeron moved out of Trowa's way as the man moved past him down the hall without giving him a second glance, then stopped as he realized his dad was in the bathroom.

Would there never be an end to how incredibly special the man was?

"What?" Duo asked, glancing at him in the mirror after a few moments.

"What are you doing?"

"Plucking," Duo noted dryly, showing the tweezers. "What are you doing?"

"I have to pee."

"Ah, do I have to leave? Or am I your dad?"

Jeron snorted and went about his business quickly.

"Where's Quatre?" Duo added as Jeron washed his hands.

"In his tent, I think."

"Heero?"

"Him and Mom are playing on the laptop again."

"Your siblings?"

"On the toy," Jeron shrugged. "Stevie is trying to teach Chels something and the twins and Cull have their own game going on with Lanie, Bren, and Mal...Sebastian is laying down in the tent."

"He okay?" Duo asked, glancing back at him.

"I think so...I think he had a bad dream or got woken up last night or something...you and Mom weren't loud, were you?"

"No, it wasn't us," Duo returned, debating if he'd done a good enough job to keep his wife from noticing. "I heard something, too...I think there was a cat fight."

"Hm, so you were awake?"

"If that's what woke him up, yeah."

Jeron nodded, wiping his hands on the towel again. "Wufei and Relena are sitting together...and Aja's not back yet."

"Zechs and Hilde?"

"Keeping an eye on the kids."

"All right, thanks."

Jeron nodded at that and moved out of the bathroom as the water ran again. He stopped on the back porch to take stock of the situation, double checking that his list to his father had been correct...but Trowa was kinda...not at hand.

The teen considered the layout of people a moment, then moved across the yard and climbed into the tent he shared with his parents. "Bast?"

"Hm?" Sebastian asked, rolling to look at him.

Jeron lay down beside his brother. "You okay?"

"I'm tired," the other explained, shifting back into his spot. "I couldn't sleep."

"You heard'em, or what?"

"No...I fell asleep pretty fast, but then I woke up."

"Dad said he thought he heard a cat fight."

"Oh," the other yawned. "Did he say for me not to take a nap?"

"No, he just wanted to be sure you were okay."

"I'm tired, that's all," Sebastian sighed.

"I'm gonna start a game of tag, you in or out?"

The younger sighed and sat up.

"Don't be stupid and run too fast for the little kids," Jeron ordered him. "Ready?"

"Ready?" Sebastian asked curiously.

Jeron flashed him a wicked grin, shifting his weight to run.

"Wait 'til we're out of the tent!" Sebastian started.

"Tag!" Jeron shouted...and darted out the tent flap with his brother directly on his heels. "Sebastian's it!" he added to the startled children who were turning to focus on him. "Sebastian's it!"

They squealed in absolute delight...and scattered to the wind.

- -

Quatre darted from the tent with Trowa as the children squealed enmasse, alarmed. It only took him a moment to realize that Bastian was chasing Jeron with a holy vengeance...and the pair fell to the ground, skidding across the grass with evil laughter.

"Tag!" Sebastian shouted...and launched himself _away_ from the older.

"Damn," Trowa muttered, "they aren't Duo's children at all..."

One of the twins squealed as Jeron tagged her, and turned instantly after her other.

"Oh, be careful!" Jada cried, rising from the picnic bench to watch the milling children.

"That was almost alarming," Trowa added as Duo moved down the back steps and took stock of the lot.

"It didn't sound scared enough to be alarming," Heero countered, turning to look at them. "It was startling...they have very high pitched little voices...but not alarming."

"You're used to it," Quatre retorted, moving across the area to sit on the opposite bench from the pair. "What are you two doing now?"

"I'm a graphic designer," Jada explained. "I can draw pretty good."

"When I need fine details, I go to her," Heero agreed, indicating the woman with a gesture of his head. "It gives us something to do, at least."

"Is that the gazebo, then?" Trowa asked, sitting next to Quatre.

"I finished that already," Heero returned, pointing quickly at the screen.

"What?" Jada protested. "You said..."

"No, I meant..."

"Are you sure?"

The pair seemed to be talking mostly with their hands.

"Just try it and see, I told you I wanted to see."

"You never pay attention to anything," Duo agreed happily, sitting down beside Quatre. "He was telling you..." Duo made a rather large gesture.

Heero and Jada both focused on him in complete confusion.

"You know?" Duo asked happily, making another series of gestures...that ended with him making a circle with his fingers and thumb...and jerking his wrist tightly.

Jada started laughing, resting her forehead against the palm of her hand.

Heero repeated the final gesture himself, considering it, then studied his hand...before flipping Duo off.

Duo started laughing.

"Did any of that actually mean anything?" Trowa asked them curiously.

"Duo likes to tease us about talking with our hands," Jada muttered, grinning up at him. "He has no clue what we're talking about, but he had to add his two cents."

Duo turned his smile onto Quatre. "I wanna make a snack run."

"Just call Aja," Heero protested, looking to his watch. "She should be coming back in an hour or two."

"No," Duo denied easily, rising to his feet. "We'll just be back." He took two steps away and stopped, looking to Quatre. "Coming?"

Quatre studied the man warily, then moved to stand, looking to Trowa. Duo's intent was fairly obvious...at least the part where he got himself alone with Quatre. Trowa knew what it was all about, but Quatre hadn't been let in on the secret.

"Can I come?" Steven demanded with Chelsea on his heels.

"No," Duo replied impassively...and moved on with Quatre a few steps behind.

Steven stared after him in disbelief, then looked around to the adults to make sure something wasn't wrong with that...

"Oh! Oh! Run!" Relena was encouraging Jamal happily. "Go touch him!"

"What?" Jamal asked in confusion.

Jeron swooped in and lifted the boy from the dirt, running after Sebastian with the kid firmly in his arms. He was explaining the game of tag as he went, and Jamal was giggling extremely hard as Sebastian let himself be tagged. "Don't let Sebastian tag you!" Jeron added, setting the kid down and backing away with a grin to his brother.

"That's just adorable," Hilde noted, moving to stand beside Heero with Zechs behind her. "Jeron just taught the two year old how to play tag in like...five seconds."

"Why did Quatre and Duo just leave with no one else?" Zechs asked, watching the car drive away as best he could.

"Because Duo's guilty conscience made him defensive when Quatre decided to confront him," Jada noted, looking the man's face over. "They have some unresolved issues that they need to work out, and it's kinda hard to do anything here because they both seem to look around for back-up."

"So the fact that the day he left Duo said he loved Quatre doesn't bother you?"

"Not in the slightest, good sir," Jada agreed, smiling at him. "My husband loves me, and he loves my children. I never asked him to stop loving anyone, and I never once told him that he couldn't keep his friends. I might sing a different tune if he tries to sleep with him, but I'm not going to stop him from fixing his mistake."

"And all of that," Hilde announced with aplomb, "translates to the fact that Duo doesn't have the fortitude to cheat on _her_, so he can go chase his exes around as much as he wants. He's still going to her bed when the sun sets."

Jada grinned at her friend...and Heero rolled his eyes.


	9. Perfection

**Perfection**

Quatre watched Duo move into the house, thinking to himself quietly. He'd had the argument, if that's what you wanted to call it, with the man on Sunday. Monday had passed in a lonely way until Duo'd insisted they went on a snack run...and that had ended rather nicely. Duo had muttered quietly about many things on that drive, including the fact that he was very guilty about what had gone on before, and what effects it might have had on Quatre. He'd explained that his jack-ass attitude had a lot to do with not knowing _what_ to do...and the entire thing had ended with them laughing and joking. Monday night had been a breeze. They'd sat around Wufei's above-ground fire-pit and discussed various relationships until well after the sun had set...and Tuesday had dawned brightly, with Trowa wrapped around Quatre.

Tuesday had passed in an easy fashion, and had ended with Quatre being s'mor master. Relena had teased him about being so sweet that she'd have to brush her teeth again...and one of the twin girls had asked her why she'd bothered brushing her teeth already, then. The night had ended with them sitting around talking about what they _wanted_ to accomplish next...and Duo hadn't protested when Quatre'd leaned against him.

He smelled nice.

Quatre rose to his feet, since he wasn't being included in the conversation, and moved toward the house himself. He wanted to talk to Duo...it was already Wednesday. He was leaving Sunday night, sure, but the time was already half gone, and he wanted to be positive he and Duo had a sound relationship to base off of after this.

"What's up?" Duo muttered, glancing at the guy in the mirror as he hesitated in the door. "You have to go?"

"Sure," Quatre agreed, grinning at him.

Duo gave him an amused and confused look, moving into the bathroom and closing the door. It only took him a moment to go about his business, and he blinked in surprise when the door opened as he washed his hands.

"It's kinda dull out there," Quatre noted.

"So you follow me to pee? Sweet, Quatre," Duo gave him an amused look as he dried his hands. "I feel loved."

Quatre gave him a look, leaning against the wall as he studied Duo with interest.

"I don't believe you're as stressed as you claim to be," Duo noted, looking him over. "You look too good for that."

"I have a good masseuse," the blond dismissed it, then grinned.

"I could use one," Duo noted, flexing his shoulders.

"I'll give you one," Quatre offered instantly.

"Nah, I'll get Jada to," Duo muttered, realizing that Quatre was a little too eager. "Here, I'll let you go now," he started to slide by, but Quatre reached up and rested one hand against his cheek, studying his eyes. "Quatre," Duo started quietly.

"Oh, don't say it," Quatre muttered, leaning in close as he breathed in the other's scent. "I don't want anything..."

"Come on," Duo protested, starting to pull away as he realized the blond had grabbed him. "This isn't okay."

"But it was okay back then?"

"No, it was worse," Duo retorted. "I want to be your friend, don't make this hard."

"Just one?" Quatre asked, meeting his eyes sincerely. "One last..."

Duo sighed. He could tell that Quatre had his mind made up. Further, the blonde's grip on his arm was starting to ache. "One," Duo muttered, and leaned in for that kiss. He was planning to tell Jada instantly anyway, because the woman would have noticed the blond following him.

Unfortunately, when he started to pull away, Quatre didn't let it go. He couldn't exactly protest this, because Quatre also seemed to have become a second skin.

Bad idea number five-thousand twenty-two.

It only took Duo a moment to become annoyed. He used his weight to slam the blond against the wall, moving into the kiss forcefully. Quatre gave up the control willingly, allowing his arms to be raised over his head...and Duo pulled away, glaring into his eyes...and heard a step.

He met eyes with his oldest son instantly. Jeron was staring at him like he couldn't believe what he was seeing...and Quatre was staring up at him like he was expecting something more.

A rock and a hard place? The joke didn't even fly in Duo's own mind, and he shoved away from Quatre as the blond tried to grab at him.

"Now," he ordered his son, grabbing the boy's upper arm as Quatre let out a little gasp. Duo marched the boy down the hall and out the back door without a backwards glance, aggravated more with himself than anything else.

He shoved his son, and pointed at the back-fence, which was well away from everyone else, then headed for his wife.

"You look like a thunder-clap," Jada muttered, meeting his eyes.

Duo grabbed her by the upper arm and stepped her away from the cooler, leaning up to her ear. "Quatre just followed me to the bathroom...wanted one more kiss. I didn't think it'd hurt anything...but he just about had to be pried off with a crowbar."

"Duo," she reprimanded, pulling back to meet his eyes.

"Yeah, I figured one kiss would pass and I'd be on my way...Quatre had other ideas."

"What's up?" Heero asked in concern, noting that Jeron was watching his parents as he headed for the fence.

"Shit happens," Duo snapped back, then leaned back to Jada. "Jeron saw...the bathroom door wasn't closed and he was in there. I couldn't pull away from the dumb-ass, so I took control from him. Jeron saw it."

"Oh, Duo," she protested, pulling back to look at him.

"I'm sorry," Duo hissed at her. "I didn't intend it."

She sighed, giving him a look, then rolled her eyes and gestured toward their son. "Don't lie to him."

"I wouldn't have anyway," Duo noted, moving away from her.

Jada shook her head with her arms crossed, moving back to the picnic table as she sorted out her emotions on the matter. The kiss itself was vaguely amusing. Duo hadn't meant anything by agreeing, and it wouldn't have been an issue if Jeron hadn't followed after.

"Huh?" Heero asked.

She shook her head, rolling her eyes at him, meeting eyes briefly with her husband.

Duo sighed as he moved past his son to lean his back against the fence and study his eyes.

"You tell Mom?" Jeron demanded.

"That would be what I was doing," Duo noted in annoyance. "You just like following me around, don't you?"

"That's not an issue usually," Jeron agreed darkly, glaring at his dad. "If you make Mom cry..."

"Jeron, you don't know what you saw."

"My bi father kissing on his ex boyfriend in a bathroom when everyone was outside?"

That actually got a flash of a grin. "You don't know what you were seeing."

Jeron crossed his arms.

"I hurt Quatre with the cheating."

"So even his score by cheating on Mom?"

"Ha," Duo snapped. "Shut up and listen."

Jeron shifted his weight to be sure his aggravation was obvious.

"I hurt Quatre, and it gave him an issue for life. I didn't mean it, I didn't think about it...I didn't even understand what I was doing to begin with. I just had this thing between my legs that led me into all sorts of interesting situations."

Jeron was unimpressed.

Duo studied his son's flinty expression, realizing that he was proud. His son was standing up for his mother, even against his own father. He forced himself not to grin, then narrowed his eyes as Quatre moved from the house and stopped, blinking at him.

"I cheat a couple times, then walk out," Duo noted, looking back to his son. "I meet your mom a year later...and a year or two later, there you are. The dates are fuzzy...but I'm married with a son...or two...or three...dealing with work and family matters–and he's spinning his wheels with relationship after relationship that go no deeper than his pocket-change."

"So you were gonna cheat out of pity? Shit, Dad, if you're gonna do it, you better do it right...I'd think you'd know _that_ by now."

"You're not too old for me not to slap your damn mouth," Duo threatened. "Let me finish. You didn't see what you think you saw."

"You were _kissing_ him!" Jeron protested, gesturing agitatedly. "What's not to get?"

"The fact that I pissed him off to high hell on Sunday," Duo snapped.

Jeron's expression remained uncomprehending.

"Trowa told me Sunday evening that Quatre's petty," Duo added.

"So...he was trying to get you in trouble?"

Duo held up a finger to indicate the boy should wait. "Monday he reminded me again how bad I hurt Quatre...so I took Quatre to the store and we finally talked."

Jeron settled back uncertainly, not sure what to make of that.

"Tuesday we were fine," Duo added, "but today he's been kinda watching me move around and stuff...I didn't really think anything of it until he was _in_ the bathroom with me, Jeron...I _love_ your mother, and I'm _not_ going to cheat on her."

"Then what were you doing with Trowa? I came in and he was walking out of the bathroom...were you kissing _him_, too?"

"Actually, that was him reminding me what a bastard I'd been," Duo retorted. "You spying on me now? Gotta know what Dad's doing?"

Jeron tsked in disgust.

"Have I ever done you wrong? Have I ever done wrong by your mother?"

"Not that I know of," the teen replied in a very level voice.

Duo noted that Jada was watching them, and wondered briefly if he and the boy would ever break down into a fist fight.

He ran a hand down his face and shook his head. "I was trying to leave and he grabbed my arm. I protested at him and he begged one kiss."

"I saw more than _one_ kiss, Dad."

"Yeah, that would be one of the reasons I'm so annoyed."

Jeron blinked.

"I figured your mother wouldn't be too upset over a kiss. It wasn't like it was my idea or something I'd enjoy anyway...but then I couldn't make him get _off_."

Jeron thought about what he'd seen...it hadn't actually been much.

"I had to dominate...make him cooperate with my movements, because I swear he was trying to suck out my soul..."

A grin flashed across Jeron's face briefly.

"...and I was always the dominant one between us anyway...so I just kissed him back. That's what you saw. I forced his arms over his head so he wasn't holding me anymore...then you moved and I heard you and I knew what you'd think."

"That's not right," Jeron informed him.

Duo gave him a very level look.

"If you make _my_ mother cry..."

"Oh, you mean my _wife?_" Duo snapped back. "The woman I love and have been faithful to for fifteen or so years?"

Jeron glared at him, settling back.

"How about you talk to your mother now?" Duo asked darkly. "You go see what she's annoyed about...because she believes me, even if you don't."

"Of course she trusts her _husband_," the teen agreed darkly.

"Maybe you should trust your _father_, son. Maybe you shouldn't jump to conclusions. I don't know what Quatre was thinking, or even what his intent was. All I know is that I gave into the wrong demand, thinking it'd be fine and ended up screwing myself over...again. But think about it. What was the first thing I did? If I'd meant to do anything, I wouldn't have marched you out here where everyone could see you were pissed. I would have taken you aside in the living room and sweet-talked you into submission."

"Not even _you_ can talk that fast."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Duo noted, smiling pleasantly at the boy. "You don't know me...not really. You don't know my limits. When I was your age, I was so smooth that I charmed the devil himself. You think my own son, who loves me, is gonna be too hard to manipulate?"

"I have two words for you, and one of them is you," Jeron spat.

"Ah, the first one is love? Or maybe lucky?"

The boy rolled his eyes.

Duo snorted and shook his head, standing straight. "When you make a mistake, you admit that mistake. When you miscalculate, you own it and figure out how to keep it from happening again." He grabbed the boy by one shoulder, leaning over so they were eye to eye. "When you find someone you love, and you still manage to fuck up, you go straight to them and let them _know_, because lies and half-truths can tear anything down in less than half the time it took to build it up. Your mother trusts me. I make mistakes, but she still accepts me...even now she's more worried that you might be too mad at me. Go ask her yourself. If she agrees with you, then we can have a different kind of talk...but since she won't, and I know she won't, why don't you just accept that I know that I fucked up and try to work out a vision of me that's not perfect."

Jeron crossed his arms again.

"Go talk to her," Duo suggested, turning the boy and shoving him toward his mother. "You two go in the tent and talk...I have to talk to Heero."

"Huh?" Jeron asked blankly.

"Believe it or not, I need advice...go on...and don't tell your siblings about this."

Jeron gave him a disgusted look, then turned and moved toward his mother.

Quatre looked from Duo to the boy uncertainly from where he was sitting with Trowa...as Jada moved into the tent.

Heero rose to his feet and moved across the yard instantly.

"What's going on?" the Japanese man finally asked as they neared each other.

"You'll never _believe_ what just happened."

- -

E/N: Thank you, Cara! I'm glad you're enjoying this. Like I said before, it's not meant to get overly deep or anything, just some kinda amusing fluff. I do appreciate reviews, though.


	10. Third Step

**Third Step**

"What did you do?" Trowa demanded quietly of Quatre.

"Nothing," Quatre returned bitterly.

"Right, I believe that," Trowa rolled his eyes, though it was too dark to be seen. The day had started bright enough, but had ended with a lot of quiet.

"I didn't do anything, he did...again."

"Sure he did," Trowa agreed in vague amusement. "Think about it, Quatre. He was _pissed_. Jeron was _pissed_."

Quatre grumbled incoherently, cursing himself again silently. He really _hadn't_ meant to come-on to the guy. Not consciously, anyway. One moment of wishful thinking and he'd screwed up again.

He couldn't do anything right.

Quatre curled up, glad Trowa hadn't moved to lay with him again. He didn't want to be touched.

Actually, he did. Not necessarily by Trowa, but he knew Trowa was a true friend. He rolled across the tent and curled up to the guy as best he could with the sleeping bags.

"Here," Trowa muttered with a sigh, shifting around, too. It only took a moment for Quatre to be properly in his arms, and he shook his head slightly. "So what was it?"

"I was being stupid," Quatre muttered into his chest, though they both stopped, hearing Jada gasp.

"Shh," Duo muttered in a breathless amused voice, which made Jada snigger slightly.

"Can I hate her?"

"No," Trowa returned promptly. "If you don't have her, you don't have Duo, and you want Duo."

"That phrasing causes issue."

Trowa ignored that. "What did you do?"

"I was following him around," Quatre explained. "Didn't think about it...followed him into the bathroom."

"Uh..."

"He was washing his hands," Quatre snapped. "We were close again...I thought...just one kiss," he laughed quietly to himself. It was a very bitter sound.

"That pissed him off?"

"No, he conceded to that," Quatre muttered, shifting his head around so Trowa couldn't see his face.

"For some reason I'm not surprised by that...so what? You try to make out?" Quatre made a noncommittal sound. "What did he do?"

"I don't know what happened," the blond explained. "He was kissing me, he stopped...and then he stormed off with Jeron."

"I thought it was something like that," Trowa noted as Jada gasped again and Duo started laughing wickedly.

"That's really unnerving," Quatre grumped. "Their _children_ are in there?"

"Just Jeron," Trowa noted in amusement. "Sebastian decided to sleep inside...and from what I've gathered from Duo, Jeron's a heavy sleeper."

Quatre made a noise.

"So what are you going to do? You want him back, don't you?"

"That's what I _was_ doing, Trowa. It backfired."

"If you don't give into those baser urges, it would be fine. Even now you can probably pull it out of the shit-can. Apologize to him...to his wife, sit down and have a talk with him and maybe have a talk with Heero."

"I just wish I could figure Jada out," Quatre returned tiredly. "She's nice one moment and a bitch the next."

"I think it's sarcasm," the brunette mused. "The way Hilde, Zechs, Aja, and Heero react...I think she means to be amusing."

"It's hard to tell."

"You were fine with her the other night...and this morning."

"Until I went and kissed her husband. She's bound to be pissed at me."

"I think she was more annoyed with Duo."

"But...he didn't do it."

"He didn't do it when we were teenagers, either, did he? But that was all still his fault."

Quatre made an amused noise and sighed.

"Let's just sleep now," Trowa suggested, realizing that it was quiet again. "We can try again in the morning."

"We?"

"You can't afford to lose me, Q," Trowa noted, shifting down more where he was laying. "You have too few real friends as it is."

"That's an utterly depressing notice."

"It's an utterly depressing reality," Trowa retorted.

"I suppose."

"Go to sleep," Trowa murmured. "We can figure the rest out in the morning. You're not alone here."

Quatre settled down wordlessly, though he didn't fall asleep. In his line of business, failure wasn't an option. He ran his business with finesse and knew exactly what to say to which person to get what he wanted.

Maybe he could do that here...what was really at risk, anyway? Even if he screwed everything over, Heero wouldn't drop him. Wufei wasn't likely to shy away because of stupidity surrounding Duo...and Trowa was obviously a true friend.

He didn't have anything to risk except something he didn't have...

The blond resolved to get his way, and allowed himself to drift into a deep sleep.

- -

"Hey, Cutie."

"Hey, creepie," Jeron returned, giving Quatre a look.

Quatre grinned at him and indicating the spot next to him.

"No, I won't be coming near you," Jeron noted.

"I was just fucking around."

"I'm sure you were," Jeron agreed wryly. "Doesn't make you any less a creepie old man."

"I'm not old," Quatre noted in amusement, sliding down where he sat so his upper back was resting against the picnic table. "I just wanted to apologize."

"For being a freak?" Jeron demanded.

"Pretty much," Quatre agreed easily, nonplussed. "I loved your father once. We never really broke up in any distinct fashion."

"Aside from him walking out."

"But that's not closure," the blond murmured. "There was still a chance he'd waltz back into my life. I didn't want to accept that I lost him entirely."

"So you try to make out?" Jeron had moved a little closer, eyes narrowed at the man. "I'll kick your damned ass if you make my mother cry."

"I have nothing against your mother," Quatre reassured him. "I wholly intend to apologize to her later, too. You think your dad will talk to me? I kinda messed up and want to work out how to keep it from happening again."

"Just don't _do_ it, genius."

"You're in a _chipper_ humor, aren't you? Just like your dad way back when. One morning he's sweetness and light, the next I want to smother him with a pillow."

That made Jeron grin, then glower again.

"I didn't mean to _do_ it to begin with," Quatre added pointedly. "Unfortunately, I lose control around certain people."

Jeron crossed his arms, moving to stand beside Quatre somewhat. "So that _was_ your fault?"

Quatre nodded once, looking down before shrugging. "He agreed one kiss, and after it passed I didn't let him pull away."

"So he didn't...he wasn't going to..."

"Did you _see_ him glaring at me?" Quatre protested, realizing that the boy didn't _want_ to think his father capable of hurting his mother. "If you hadn't been there he probably would have hit me in the stomach or something...or worse," he shuddered to give the boy the impression of getting kneed in the groin.

Jeron's eyes flashed amused again.

"You're a little jackass," Quatre noted, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm not a jackass," Jeron retorted, sitting a foot or two away on the bench. "I'm just _that_ good."

Quatre guffawed in disbelief, starting to laugh.

"Jeron," Duo snapped from where he was by the tent, "come help."

Jeron sighed and rose to his feet, moving around the table without a backwards glance. Duo hadn't realized how close his son was to the offender until Quatre had laughed. He'd glanced in that direction to see his son there.

"Don't sit by him like that," Duo hissed at his son, indicating a sleeping bag.

"He was telling me he was sorry," Jeron retorted irritably. "He was telling me that it _was_ his fault."

"You won't believe me, but you'll believe him?" Duo demanded.

"Not when I saw you _cheating_ on my mother, no."

"I wasn't _cheating_," Duo snapped, slamming the bag he was holding to the tent floor as he glowered at the boy.

"Depends on your _definition_, doesn't it?" Jeron retorted. "Mom told me she was annoyed with you, but not hurt, and that meant that you weren't so bad as I thought...and Quatre just _told_ me that he was doing it, so I know _you_ weren't doing it...just because you're feeling..._insecure_...doesn't mean you should get all pissy with _me!_"

Duo shifted back, taken off-guard by the comment.

"Mom probably needs my help with the kids," Jeron added irritably. "You know...the other six babies you two made."

Duo gave him a look.

"And since you're so engrossed in being an _ass_, I'm gonna get away from you before you _hit_ me."

The angry words leapt to Duo's mouth immediately, the denial of that idea...but Jeron was gone from the tent before he even had his mouth open.

Duo took a long slow breath, considering the conversation as he wondered if he'd been so unstable as a teen. His dilemmas had never been so straight-forward back then. He was with other kids that needed help, or he was doing something _huge_. He hadn't had the mother or father figure in his life in any reliable way...he knew his temper had been that volatile, always...but...

"What's the likelihood of you hearing me out?" Quatre muttered, standing at the entrance to the tent and looking in at him.

"Slim," Duo returned, going back to packing the clothes away again. It wasn't like they were leaving, but things needed to be in a certain order so they were available again later.

"How about your wife?"

"Talk to _her_ about it," Duo snapped.

"I'm sorry," Quatre noted pointedly. "I didn't exactly think about what I was doing."

"Yeah, not cutting it," Duo muttered, tossing that backpack aside and starting to pick up the little girls' things.

Quatre settled on his rear outside the tent, watching the man work a moment, then grinned slightly. "You can't tell me that you can blame me. Your kisses always took me to my knees."

Duo hesitated, then shook his head.

Quatre grinned a bit more. "Your scent makes me heady anyway, so standing a closed bathroom...come on, I lost it."

Duo stopped, turning to give him a look.

"You've only become more since then. You're self assured, resourceful...compassionate. You said yourself you regretted not having it out with me back then...so let's have this out now and not do that again. I won't do it anymore. I said one, and got it. That's done. You need to help me find someone, because lord knows I'm clueless."

"It's not that simple, Quatre," Duo muttered, looking away. "I trusted you and you got me in all kinds of hot water. Jada's exasperated with me, sure, but she's absolutely _pissed_ that Jeron saw."

"It's not like I _wanted_ an audience while I begged," Quatre noted, rolling his eyes.

Duo shook his head and went back to the task.

"I'm gonna go talk to your wife," Quatre noted, rising to his feet. "Maybe she'll hear me out."

Duo shrugged indifferently, not looking up as the man walked away.

Heero really needed to get back from the store.

"So, fucking up again, already?" Wufei asked sweetly, ducking into the tent with a happy grin.

"Go pretend to shave," Duo retorted.

Wufei sniggered, rubbing at his nearly hairless face.

"What do you want?"

"I want to see what you did this time," Wufei smiled sweetly.

"Actually, I gave in to the wrong demand and my son saw it."

"Good job...great example."

"We all know I'm a great forge of character."

"You know, I was wary of you...of seeing you again...but you haven't really changed. You're still Duo."

"Aren't you still Wufei?" Duo retorted dryly.

"Not really...not in so many words. My growing up made me stop doing things...you were already grown up. That's why we didn't get along, I bet you."

Duo met his eyes, raising an eyebrow.

"I've been watching you...watching you with your kids and your wife...the way you and Heero act together, even you and his little girl. You're not really different, you're just more considerate in your actions."

"Okay?"

"Let's me and you go to lunch," Wufei suggested, glancing at his watch. "Just me and you...and maybe one of the older ones...so we can talk. _Really_ talk. I'm not sure what happened between you and Quatre, but he's doing his damnedest now to fix it. I haven't seen you in more than a decade, so let's go catch up."

"I shouldn't leave Jada with all the kids."

"Are you kidding me? Relena wants to kidnap your twins, and Hilde's always got her eyes on the baby...Sebastian watches Chelsea and Steven, and Jada can get Jeron to do just about anything she can get you to do...and I dunno, I want to be your friend."

"You all keep saying that," Duo noted, resting back on his haunches. "Why do you all keep saying that?"

"You were inconsistent before. You were out to get laid, so we couldn't fully trust you and your intentions. Hell, if anything, me meeting up to you in that club should be all the example necessary. Sure, I provoked it all, I can agree to that...but you sure as hell did not stop me or indicate I should stop at any given point."

Duo looked away.

"You've settled down now...and I want our group back. We can't get it back unless we all cooperate, and we _can_ do it. We didn't win the damn wars by acting alone."

"As I recall, you defected at one point."

"As I recall, I was having more issues than an abused eight year old on steroids. We got over that shit a long time ago and let's leave it in the shallow grave we dug for it to rot. What do you say? Lunch?"

Duo rubbed at his face, then studied the Chinese man with interest. "Let me see what Jada says...after I clean up."

Wufei nodded cordially, and went to find Relena.

- -

E/N: Thanks for the review, Liszt. Apprecio mucho. hehe. I know very little Spanish, so I'm impressed, lol. Reviews make the author go -**_squee-_**. Oh, and don't mind me while I'm "clever" with titles...


	11. Sun Dream

**Sun Dream**

"The way he looks at you," Quatre muttered to Jada as he leaned against the counter. "It kills me, I'm so frickin' jealous...and I don't _want_ to be...I _like_ you..._and_ your kids..." 

"Flatterer," Jada retorted with a grin, passing him a coffee cup. "I don't care if you're jealous or not. My son _saw_ what happened, and that pisses me off. There's a reason we never told Jeron about some of our issues. He might be mature for his age, but not _that_ mature." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Duo was coming home late from work...like, a half hour...back before the twins, Chels...oh, no, we only had boys. It was when Steve was a baby. Anyway, Duo'd gotten a promotion, and was happily working to get little things finished at the end of his workday...but at that time I was penned into a schedule, and it all but killed me. Sometimes when the kids weren't home...a repair man or two might stop by...once in a while." 

Quatre's jaw dropped as he stared at Jada. 

"Yeah," she muttered, sipping her own cup. "He didn't interrupt when he did get home, but the poor man absolutely _booked_ it out of there when he realized I was _married_." 

"Oh my god," Quatre whispered, completely disbelieving. 

"Yeah," the woman repeated with a grin. "He stopped coming home late at that point." 

Quatre sniggered, sipping at his own cup. "He said at one point that if Trowa showed up on time...I mean...it was kinda callous, but..." 

"I bet he was serious, too," Jada noted in amusement. "He was annoyed that I'd screwed the repair man, but suitably contrite for coming home late so much. We don't have what you'd call a...typical...relationship." She took another drink as she thought. "He knows I love him with everything I have...so these little instances of pleasure seeking aren't more than vaguely annoying to either of us." She met his eyes, grinning slightly. "He doesn't look for anyone else, no one catches his attention...well, sometimes the ladies about Aja's age will draw his eyes in, but he doesn't ogle them...not really. I don't really notice anyone else myself, but about mid-day I start feeling the need for attention. You wanna know something?" 

"What?" Quatre asked, sipping at his cup again. 

"I've slept with Heero." 

Quatre froze, his eyes rounding. 

"Zechs freaked out completely at the idea, which made Hilde's day...but Heero conceded grudgingly...a few times." 

Quatre set his cup down on the counter, blinking several times before a completely wicked thought crossed his mind. "No wonder he likes you so much." 

Jada laughed delightedly. "He only did it because he was single and it'd been a good six months...a couple times, Duo was out of town...and then when he was sick. We all pretend it never happened...and Aja has no clue." 

"I think I could handle that type of friendship," Quatre muttered with a snigger. 

Jada laughed again, smacking him in the arm before leveling him with a look. 

Quatre wasn't sure what the look was actually for, and shifted slightly uncertainly. 

"Duo's really pissed at you...what happened? He didn't give me details, but he was really really upset." 

"I begged a kiss," Quatre shrugged, looking away as he re-gathered his cup. "He conceded that...but then he was kissing me, and..." 

"He is rather unsettling, isn't he?" Jada grinned, studying the blond. "Mostly, we're annoyed because Jeron saw him kissing you. The actual notion that his father is bi doesn't bother him...he's only known for...maybe a month. He was all sorts of curious to meet you and Trowa." 

"Not Wufei?" 

"No one told him the Wufei stuff. Duo admitted that he'd cheated on you and Trowa both, and that he was guilty about it. That's as far as Jeron understood...and then he saw Duo kissing _you_." 

"And heard me begging?" Quatre retorted. 

"Honey, don't go boasting that," she muttered, leaning forward as she said it. "That's not something to brag about." 

"Isn't Duo?" 

"Duo's only told me and Heero what's happened, and I doubt bragging entered into his mind at all. He hurt you when you guys were young, and the fact that you don't seem to be over him is killing him worse than anything else. Besides, Jeron told me that he'd come into the house, heard muttering, wandered back toward the bathroom and saw Duo shoving you against the wall...and that you were basically putty." 

Quatre flashed her a brief grin. 

"I know that he's not comfortable with you, and it's because you _are_ attracted to him. I use up everything he's got, plus all of the children...he can't spare you any energy." 

That made the blond frown and shake his head. "If he tried to sleep with me, I would in a heartbeat, but I'm not pursuing him." 

"Mom?" Jeron muttered, moving into the kitchen with a grave expression. 

"I think I see why your father was so annoyed with you," Jada noted, raising an eyebrow at him. 

Jeron shrugged uncomfortably, looking away. "I just wanted to tell you that Camille is hungry and...Chels." 

"How long were you standing there?" she asked pointedly. 

"Um...you were saying that Dad wouldn't brag." 

She gave him an amused look. "Don't do that anymore. I don't speak enough languages for you to stand around listening to me." 

"I'm sorry," he muttered, looking down. 

"Take them all outside," Jada added. "I'll bring out peanut butter and jelly." 

He nodded, then turned away. 

"Great, just what he needed to hear," Quatre muttered, rubbing at his eyes. "I'm sure he hates me." 

"Jeron? Maybe. I don't think so, though. As long as you leave his dad alone, he'll probably be all right with you. He was freaked out that I might start crying. He's a good kid, and he wants to protect me. Most people are upset by the different variations of cheating, and I'm not dissuading him from his own little ideals." 

"You must be very proud," Quatre noted quietly, aware that the kids were about to enter the kitchen. 

"I am," she agreed with a slight smile. "He's definitely his father's son." 

Quietly, in the deepest part of his mind, Quatre wondered if that was really such a great thing. Outwardly, he grinned at her and nodded. His children, anyway, only knew the steadfast goodness of the man. They had no idea the massive amount of harm Duo could cause...in peace or in war. 

It was almost like he was a large moth, powerful compared to the other insects...and that with a few strokes of his wings, he could tear up the webbing laid by any spider and ruin it without a moment's hindrance. 

Jeron led his siblings across the kitchen without looking at the adults, grinning to himself as he held the door open so they could all pass. As the lot started out the door, he turned to flash a proud smile at his mother. 

Jada smiled back, and Quatre flashed the kid an amused grin. 

As a teen, Duo'd been drawn to some flame, some light at the end of a tunnel, and everything else was just so much dust, miniscule and unimportant...just a vague annoyance... 

Was that what he was? 

Quatre turned to refill his cup as the sick uncertainty hit him again. Over the years, in all his relationships, Quatre felt like a spider, laying a perfect web. His snares, though, were not strong. He wasn't able capture anything, and before he could become a threat, he was always shoed away, like a bad dog. 

He hated begging, and even with Duo that was the only way to... 

"Hey," Jada muttered, studying his eyes. "You still with me?" 

"What? Huh? Sorry, I..." 

"Can you help me?" Jada asked quietly. "I somehow get the definite impression that you're in need of a serious distraction." 

Quatre sighed, moving to gather up the bread. The woman's sincerity and good humor in the face of almost raucous jokes impressed him. Not only that, but she'd listened to everything he'd said and acknowledged it. She didn't belittle him or shoe him away...even now she wanted his help. 

"Can I ask you something?" Quatre asked quietly. 

"Of course," she smiled. "Doesn't mean I'll answer." 

He smiled slightly at her, then tilted his head. "Am I...useless?" 

The smile that lit her face was sweet. "I thought so...I could see it in your eyes. You don't have any friends, do you? Not real friends." 

"Just Heero, Trowa, and Wufei," Quatre muttered, looking away. 

"And they can't very well reassure you, can they? A bunch of dumb-ass males. Heero might get some of it, but not nearly enough of it to make you feel better...but to answer your question, no. You're not useless. You're anything _but_ useless...and that includes jackassism." 

"Jackassism?" Quatre protested, trying to decide if that was even a real word. 

She laughed happily, passing him the jelly and a knife. "Jackassism. You got my husband to _kiss_ you." 

He smiled a bit embarrassedly at her. 

"And you're so _proud_ of yourself for it," she added a bit tartly, grabbing the peanut butter and starting for the back door. "It's absolutely disgusting." 

Quatre sniggered a bit at that, moving past her. 

Jada made an amused noise, starting down the stairs. "You stick with me, huh? We'll do some damage for no other reason than shits and giggles." 

"Yep, you're a woman all right." 

"Damn right," she retorted, moving to walk even with him. "I'm more a woman than you've ever had, and more a woman than you ever will have." 

"Unless I show up at three forty-five," Quatre noted. 

Jada guffawed at that in amused disbelief, and smacked him in the arm. 

- - 

"Uh?" Jeron muttered to his father finally, watching as Jada and Quatre laughed wickedly. Jada had made a questionable gesture with one of the roasting-sticks, and Quatre evidently appreciated it. 

"Yeah," Duo agreed with the uncertainty implied in his son's question. 

Jada passed Quatre an armload of bags before taking a box, and turned back to toward the fireplace. 

"Really?" Jeron asked, blinking. 

"Evidently," Duo agreed, rubbing at one eyebrow. 

Quatre happily started passing out the marshmallows and sticks to the children as Jada poked at the fire some to stir up the flames. 

"I just..." Jeron hesitated again, glancing up at his father uncertainly. 

"Yep," Duo muttered. 

Jeron flashed him a grin. 

"Are you guys even _talking_ about something?" Wufei demanded, moving to join them. 

Before the fire had been lit, Jada and Duo had been sitting outside their tent in some camp chairs. When Heero'd gone to light the thing, Jada had given over her seat to her oldest son. 

"Yep," Duo muttered to the Chinese man, still studying his wife. 

Jeron sniggered. 

"And what would that be?" Wufei asked almost tartly. 

Jeron pointed at his mother and Quatre, who were talking to each other over the heads of the kids. 

Wufei blinked at her. 

"Yeah," Duo agreed again, amused at how very simple his end of the conversation was to keep up. 

Jeron laughed, hit Duo in the leg, then darted across the yard to gather his own marshmallow stick from Quatre, who was looking for him. 

Wufei sat with Duo. "Uh..." 

"Yeah," Duo muttered. 

Wufei gave him a look. 

- - 

"So...what the hell?" Heero muttered as he backed from his parking spot. 

"You tell me and we'll all know," Duo muttered. "He won Jeron over, too." 

"He took the blame for everything," Heero noted, putting the car in gear. "Jeron told me that Quatre explained what had happened." 

"What _did_ happen?" Hilde asked, looking between the two. "Things were all fine and dandy, and then you were all pissed." 

"Quatre decided he needed a kiss," Heero replied somewhat blandly. "And somehow or another, that translated into a make-out session. Duo wasn't exactly game, though, and Jeron happened to see his finishing move." 

Duo gave the other man a very long look. 

"Oh dear," Hilde muttered. 

"Yeah, seems that Duo...took control...of the situation," Heero explained happily, glancing at the woman in the review mirror. "Hands over the head and that jazz." 

Hilde groaned, covering her face with her hands. 

"Jeron was _pissed_," the Japanese man noted, wondering if it was bad that he wanted to laugh. "But Quatre's gotten him over it...mostly." 

"Oh...Duo..." Hilde muttered. 

"Hey, Jada wouldn't have been upset if it had just been what it was supposed to be," Duo retorted. "That blond didn't let it end like it should have." 

"That blond?" Heero asked in amusement. 

"Yeah...shut up," Duo retorted. 

Heero laughed happily. 

"And now Jada's...all chummy with him. Wow," Hilde shifted forward so she and Duo were eye to eye. "Your wife is all _sorts_ of special, isn't she?" 

Heero laughed a bit wickedly. 

Duo shook his head, glancing out the window. "Don't I know it..." 


	12. Moonless Night

**Moonless Night**

"So here's the thing," Heero said seriously to the adults who were sitting around the fire-pit. "A lot of shit has come up this week, and I really was expecting it."

"Who called for a speech?" Zechs asked Duo sarcastically.

Duo sniggered and elbowed him.

Heero gave them both a look, then paced around the fire some more as he thought. The children were all sleeping...inside the house. Even Jeron was inside.

"You can have your say," Hilde reassured the man, wondering at the agitation.

"Sorry," Heero muttered, glancing at them all briefly. "I just don't want to piss any of you off, but I think I pretty much have to."

"Fair enough," Hilde noted. "We're all adults here...mostly," she cast a speculative look at Wufei.

They all laughed good naturedly at that, though Wufei flipped her off for good measure.

"First and foremost...a couple of us have problems," the Japanese man had waited for the laughter to subside before moving on. "I need my wedding planned and acted on before I lose my mind. Trowa needs to figure out why his relationships bottom-out at ten feet...Quatre needs to get real friends, and Jada needs to go back to counseling." He gave the woman a long look at that.

"Ah, your note about being pissed makes sense now," she noted, sitting back and crossing her arms. "I'm better now than I used to be."

"But Duo's still over-stressed," Heero retorted. "Wufei, what's your issue?"

"I'm married and have a kid," Wufei noted.

Relena smacked him as they all sniggered.

"What's your problem, then?" Heero asked her instead.

"So me and Hilde are the only ones who don't have some sort of problem?" Zechs demanded when his sister looked confused.

"You _are_ a problem," Duo noted. "We all deal with it."

Hilde laughed happily.

"As far as I can tell, we're fine," Wufei noted. "Aside from living over in bum-fuck Egypt, I mean."

"Okay, so buy my house from me by Hilde's."

"Just like that?" Relena asked dryly.

Heero flashed her a grin. "It's on the market, Lena...and I can discount it for you."

"I thought you already had it sold," Duo protested.

"I lied," Heero explained, shrugging at him as he tsked. "It's a vice I have," Heero admitted. "It's cheap," he added to Wufei. "Good location...good schools...not far from a good day-care center," he pointed at Hilde.

Hilde laughed again.

"We'll talk," Wufei returned, grinning at him. "I want to move anyway."

"We'll probably do it," Relena agreed, rubbing at one ear. "As long as you're not fucking with us price-wise."

"Great, dilemma one and ten done," Heero noted, turning back to include the group again with a grin. "Second part...my wedding. I think that will be by the end of the summer. Especially if you buy the house," Heero added to Wufei. "I'll have the full money then."

"We're gonna discuss the wedding before we sleep tonight, aren't we?" Aja asked, making a little face.

"Yes...yes we are," Heero agreed. "Something about firmly netting you before you decide to get away."

She gave him a look.

He grinned cutely at her.

"You're in problem-solver mode, aren't you?" Hilde accused. "You're gonna make us sit here and talk everything out, and get pissed if we try to go to bed beforehand, aren't you?"

"Pretty much," Heero agreed. "I spent the day with a client who left way too much up to me. I had to figure all sorts of shit out on my own, and that got me thinking about getting everything _settled_. I'm tired of this runaround. If I have something planned with Duo, I don't want it to be a topic ender for Quatre, you know?"

Quatre snorted.

"Why do you tend to break up?" Heero added, focusing on Trowa.

"Because I have commitment issues?" Trowa offered, giving everyone a look. "I have to be completely sure before I finish it, and people don't seem to appreciate that."

"And the commitment shit started with Duo?"

"_Thank_ you, Heero," Duo muttered in exasperation. "Way to make my fucking night."

"Ooh, he said fuck," Zechs muttered to his sister. "That means he's _really_ upset."

Relena flashed him a grin.

Heero bit at a nail. "Sorry...I don't mean anything, Duo."

Duo sighed resignedly. "We all know I fucked everyone up, so I guess there's not much more to it."

"You didn't mess with me," Heero retorted. "Hilde's none the worse for wear...and your wife doesn't seem to have issues. Hell, even Relena is good."

"I can't claim any hardship, aside from _dealing_ with you," Zechs returned the man's earlier compliment.

Duo gave him a look.

"I won't have issues if you let me have my say," Quatre noted quickly, eager to gain concession from the final party affected by his mistake.

"Say?" Relena asked. "Have it now, I'm dying to know what happened."

"I begged a kiss off him," Quatre gave Jada a briefly guilty look. "He agreed to that, but I...kinda didn't let him back off."

Relena gave Wufei an uncertain look.

"Oh, that's not the _best_ part, though," Duo noted in a falsely happy voice. "My son? You know, the thirteen year old? Yeah, he _saw_."

"Don't just say it like that," Jada reproved him, focusing on the group again. "Most of us will concede without question that kisses from Duo take your breath away, right? So he took Quatre's breath away...and when Quatre wouldn't let him back off, he took control of the situation, which meant he was seriously _kissing_ Quatre. Jeron saw _that_, and hadn't heard anything leading up to it."

"Oh dear," Relena muttered.

"That was my thought," Jada agreed happily. "My son loves me, and wants to protect me. He was pissed at Duo until I got to talk to him, and then he was just annoyed with him."

"But I agreed to _one_ kiss, and ended up missing half my soul," Duo informed her without looking at her.

"Yes, you're a _magnificent_ asshole, dear. Stop showing off, please?"

Duo met her eyes levelly.

Hilde sniggered. "I dunno, hearing him be completely cruel is refreshing."

The word she chose snapped his attention on to her instantly. She'd meant to make him think by it, and had succeeded.

"Yeah, I was getting to that," Heero noted, sitting down in his chair again. "I think Quatre needs us all now more than ever."

They all focused on Heero.

"He's been having some rough shit going on lately, and his life's not great. He's getting way too stressed and disillusioned."

Aside from Quatre, who was just not happy by the comment, the other four former pilots all had thoughts similar to 'and we know how that goes, don't we?' Zechs and Hilde were both startled to realize that the guy _had_ done some odd stuff during the war...and Relena wondered if she was the only one thinking he needed real counseling. Only Aja and Jada weren't entirely sure what the comment meant.

"You need to get over it," Heero added pointedly to Duo. "The only harm done was your son seeing it, and he's even gotten over it. Quatre knows that you're not going to cheat, right, Q?"

"I never thought he would to begin with...and I'm not trying to be spiteful saying that. I don't mean...back then. I meant now, when I did it. I thought a kiss and you'd end it, even if I didn't want you to...and you did," he looked to Duo. "I didn't think you'd do more, and I didn't expect anything at all."

Duo frowned, looking away some. "I can never do right by you...no matter how hard I try."

"There's been nearly twenty years of not _seeing_ him, Duo," Heero cut that off. "You fucked up when we were all _kids_, it's time to put it in a drawer of memories and move on."

Quatre looked away.

"My point is," Heero added, looking to the others, "that we all need to get back on the same page. I know that it's really only been Duo who's not on-board. I've known it all along. Getting him to come at _all_ was a success...so now we're all here, and we're all remembering how much fun we had before we acted on stupid teenage impulses, right? So now we need to keep in touch."

"You mean me, don't you?" Duo snapped.

"Yes and no," Heero shrugged, nonplussed. "You are the only one who wouldn't know how to get ahold of the others. We all drifted apart, though. We've all had our own issues and shit going down so we couldn't be _there_ when we were needed most. I don't want that to happen again. We _have_ to be five," he added sincerely to Duo. "We _have_ to be the five pilots...and Zechs...and Relena."

"I'm crushed," Hilde mimed falling backwards into her husband with a hand over her heart...without getting out of her chair. "I'm not worthy of the count."

Heero gave her a look, then grinned.

"You know," Wufei spoke up, sitting forward some, "we won a _war_...we saved the _planet_...we should really have that war camaraderie thing that you always here about...the little old men sitting around a rickety card table gumming their prunes and muttering about the time when...you know? They met at eighteen and found each other again? We should find each other again."

"Poetic," Relena complimented him.

Wufei grinned at her.

"Quatre..." Duo looked to him sadly. "I can't change what happened before...I would if I could...but I can't. I'm sorry...but we can't have any of what we had before."

"But we _can_," Quatre muttered sincerely, leaning slightly over Jada's lap. "Before we got together...when we were just roommates and you were tailing after Heero like you'd been hit with...cupid's...arrow." He smiled slightly. "Remember that? We were friends...we were _good_ friends."

"You smell good," Jada noted, leaning forward to sniff better at his hair.

Duo grinned at that, then rolled his eyes and met Quatre's eyes again. "That's...all we can have."

"That's all that I want," Quatre noted. "You're married now. You have children now. I want to know I can call you when I'm having a freak out so you can laugh at me...I want to know that if I show up on your doorstep some night drunk off my ass, you won't just turn be back out on the street."

"I might have problems with that," Jada mused. "We'd throw you in the garage."

Duo sniggered, meeting her eyes.

"We can _be_ that again, Duo...you can make me my damned scrambled eggs with a little salt and a bunch of pepper...you can hunt me down at lunch because you're bored...you can save me from stupid mistakes."

"I'm going to _gag_ on all this sweetness," Trowa noted sourly.

"Oh, don't you start," Quatre retorted.

Trowa laughed a wicked _giggle_ and slammed his hand to his mouth instantly.

"What?" Duo asked as the others sniggered.

"I don't wanna say it," Trowa returned, grinning at him. "It'd piss you off."

"_What?_" Duo persisted dryly.

"Really? You won't get mad? You _know_ what I'm gonna say."

Duo studied him and rolled his eyes. "Just say it."

"I'm not the lucky one."

"I took fifteen from you," Duo returned, his voice falling instantly into the cadence and sounding evil.

Trowa flashed him a grin.

"Too late, disgraceful," Wufei mused, looking to the moon-less sky.

"What?" Jada asked blankly.

"I still hate that song," Quatre noted.

Duo laughed, then laughed a little more as he realized something.

They'd _all_ grown up. Their petty misspent youths had passed by the wayside, and they were all men. They were all comrades...they'd had their spits and spats over both nonessential and essential alike...but they were all still there, still present and accounted for regardless of mistakes or successes.

"So, seeing as Wufei's buying my house," Heero noted happily, grinning them all over, "the only issue really left is Jada getting back into counseling."

"The only problem with that is that Duo will have to be with me," Jada informed him, a knot of nervousness in her stomach at the prospect.

"That's the point, baby," Duo muttered, rubbing at her knee. "I think that was his entire point...he's got this huge house, right? He's got this play-toy and a soon-to-be wife that _loves_ our children...and Relena wants to steal Millie and Minnie...that was your point, wasn't it?" he added to his old friend.

"That was one of my points," Heero noted in amusement. "Aside from that I needed to get you and Quatre over your shit, get Trowa to admit he has a problem, and get my house settled in with a bang. I fully intend for us to be sitting here and gumming our prunes," he flashed a grin at Wufei. "No better way to end it then where you started it, right?"

"Until the IRS comes and reclaims it for tax reasons," Hilde offered helpfully.

They all sniggered at that.

"No, see," Heero turned to grin at her, "that's what you guys are _really_ for. When I decide to turn hippie and quit my job, you'll all feel obliged to pay my taxes for me because you love me so much."

"Should we tell him now we've got it appraised already?" Zechs whispered sidelong to his wife.

"No," Hilde whispered back confidentially, "let's save that until he tries to borrow money."

Duo started laughing wickedly, sitting back in his chair as Trowa grinned openly and Wufei sniggered to his wife.

"Oh, _geeze_," Heero muttered playfully, looking to the sky. "Now I _really_ feel secure..."

"So buy that life-insurance, huh?" Aja asked sweetly, her expression completely innocent. "The one with the accidental death policy."

Heero gave her an amused and offended look...but the rest of them decided that was one of the funniest things they'd heard in years...and made sure their laughter proved it.

**_End_**

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E/N: Yeah...that ending just sort of snuck up on me. I hope you enjoyed it, it was meant for a simple pleasure, lol. Thanks for the reviews, Cara and Liszt, I appreciate it.


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